Billionaire Ex-Wife Donates $700M to Historically Black Colleges

In the past two months, billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has continued her unprecedented donation blitz, gifting a staggering $700 million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the United States.

Scott, who was previously married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has emerged as a major force in higher education philanthropy. Her contributions have earned her the moniker "Saint MacKenzie Scott" from United Negro College Fund President and CEO Michael Lomax, who praised her "transformational" $70 million donation to his organization.

Scott's recent donations include a $63 million gift to Prairie View A&M University in Texas, $50 million to Bowie State University in Maryland, and $19 million to Philander Smith University in Arkansas. The single largest donation she is known to have made was $80 million to Howard University at the beginning of November.

University leaders have hailed Scott's generosity, stating that her gifts will "catapult" institutions to new levels of excellence and "empower" them to expand access, elevate research, and uplift generations of students. With an average donation of $47 million, Scott's philanthropic efforts are rewriting the playbook on how the wealthy can drive meaningful change in higher education, particularly for students of color.