The ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has promised to donate at least half her fortune to charity, just months after finalising her divorce from the world's richest man.
MacKenzie Bezos, 49, reportedly received a stake in Amazon worth around £27.5 billion when she amicably divorced her husband of 16 years in April.
She has now agreed to give more than half of the money to philanthropic causes by signing the Giving Pledge – a commitment made by America’s billionaires to donate a majority of their wealth to charity, either during their lifetimes or in their wills.
The Giving Pledge was launched in 2010 by 40 of America’s wealthiest individuals and couples, including Bill and Melinda Gates.
Since then, it has been signed by 204 billionaires from across the world, ranging in age from 30s to 90s, according to the philanthropic collective’s official website.
In her letter to the Giving Pledge, Ms Bezos said she had “a disproportionate amount of money to share”.
"We each come by the gifts we have to offer by an infinite series of influences and lucky breaks we can never fully understand," she added.
“My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time and effort and care. But I won’t wait. And I will keep at it until the safe is empty.”
Ms Bezos ranks 22nd on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with a a personal fortune estimated at $36.6 billion (almost £28.9 million).
Her former husband leads the global rankings with a net worth of roughly $114 billion (around £89.9 million) although he is notably absent from the Giving Pledge’s list of signatories.
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Mr Bezos expressed pride at his former wife’s move, writing in a Twitter post: “MacKenzie is going to be amazing and thoughtful and effective at philanthropy, and I’m proud of her. Her letter is so beautiful. Go get ‘em MacKenzie.”
The author and mother-of-four was one of 19 new Giving Pledge signatories announced on Tuesday.
American business magnate and veteran investor Warren Buffett is one of the Giving Pledge’s co-founders.
He has praised the group’s generosity, calling it “a reflection of the inspiration we take from the many millions of people who work quietly and effectively to create a better world for others, often at great personal sacrifice.”
