The world’s 4th richest woman according to Forbes and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, Mackenzie Scott has made an unrestricted $12 million donation to Howard University College of Medicine.
Scott who is worth $39.5 billion is a renowned author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott who as part of her remarkable philanthropic efforts this year, totaled $2.2 billion across 360 organizations nationwide.
In a departure from conventional giving, Scott’s contribution is unrestricted, affording Howard and the College of Medicine the flexibility to strategically deploy these funds for maximum impact.
Dean Andrea A. Hayes Dixon, M.D., of the College of Medicine, revealed that this donation will be directed toward establishing an innovative centre in collaboration with the College of Engineering and Architecture. The envisioned centre aims to facilitate interdisciplinary learning opportunities for medical and engineering students, fostering the exploration of medical technology and the development of novel devices with the potential to enhance patient care.
- Hayes Dixon articulates the significance of this initiative, stating, “The centre will empower Howard University students, thanks to the support of MacKenzie Scott, to assume leadership roles in medical technology innovation. We aspire to leverage the diverse knowledge base of our students, potentially reshaping medical practices worldwide.”
What you should know about Mackenzie Scott’s donations
Notably, this marks Scott’s second substantial contribution to Howard University, following a groundbreaking $40 million donation in 2020, the largest single donation in the institution’s history. Scott, a Princeton University graduate and former student of Howard alumna Toni Morrison, continues to demonstrate a steadfast commitment to advancing educational and medical excellence.
In 2022, Mackenzie Scott donated a sum of $436 million to Habitat for Humanity, an NGO addressing housing shortages in the US and around the world.
The gift was announced by the organization and was tagged as one of her largest disclosed donations.
In 2019, she pledged to give away the majority of her wealth saying that she has “a disproportionate amount of money to share.”
Earlier in the year, Nairametrics reported that the billionaire philanthropist had seen her net worth rise by $10.5 billion. This was due to the performance of her stakes in e-commerce giant, Amazon. Since her 2019 divorce from Jeff Bezos, Scott has donated more than $16.5 billion to more than 1,900 nonprofits.