MacKenzie Scott Net Worth

MacKenzie Scott has an estimated net worth of $28.2 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, MacKenzie Scott profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is down from a peak of $53 billion.

MacKenzie Scott is an American philanthropist, author, and early contributor to Amazon. She studied under Toni Morrison at Princeton and later worked as Morrison’s research assistant. In 1992, Scott also worked at D. E. Shaw, where she met Jeff Bezos. The next year they married, and in 1994 they moved to Seattle. During Amazon’s early years, Scott helped with the company’s name, business plan, accounts, shipping, and its first freight contract.

Her wealth is tied to Amazon. In 2019, Scott received a 4% stake in the company, which became the main source of her fortune. She also built a separate career as a novelist, publishing The Testing of Luther Albright in 2005 and Traps in 2013. Forbes put her net worth at $28.2 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026. She has also become one of the biggest individual givers in philanthropy.

How MacKenzie Scott built her wealth

Scott’s fortune comes mainly from Amazon stock. She was involved in the company from the start after moving to Seattle in 1994. In Amazon’s early period, she worked on practical parts of the business, including accounts, order shipping, and the first freight contract. Her later wealth came from the Amazon stake she received in 2019. Forbes places her in the technology industry, with Amazon as the source behind her wealth.

She also has a writing career, though her books are not presented as the main driver of her fortune. Her debut novel, The Testing of Luther Albright, was published in 2005 and won an American Book Award in 2006. Her second novel, Traps, came out in 2013. Scott later turned much of her public work toward philanthropy. On Yield Giving, she shares details of giving that totals $26.4 billion to more than 2,700 nonprofits.

What happened to her Forbes fortune

Scott’s Forbes estimate moved sharply over the years. Forbes valued her at $36 billion in 2020, then $53 billion in 2021. By 2023, that estimate had fallen to $24.4 billion. As of October 20, 2026, Forbes had her at $28.2 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker. Because her wealth is centered on Amazon stock, changes in that holding have had a big effect on the public estimate.

Another big part of Scott’s money story is how much she has given away. In May 2019, she signed the Giving Pledge and said she would give away at least half of her wealth over her lifetime. Her giving style is described as no strings attached, with recipient groups deciding how to use the money. That has made her unusual among billionaires, while Amazon has remained the core asset behind Forbes’ estimate.