Jeff Bezos ex-wife, a Democrat philanthropist, funds fight against violence in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The American billionaire novelist and philanthropist Mackenzie Scott has decided to make a donation to reduce violence in Brazil, mainly related to the use of firearms.

Mackenzie Scott donates R$6 million (US$1.2 million) to Instituto Sou da Paz. She is known for her involvement in Amazon and her now-dissolved marriage to Jeff Bezos.

Recently she has given US$20 million, ten times more than her donation to Brazil, to Meharry Medical College in Nashville, one of Nashville’s historically Black colleges and universities.

As of November 2021, she has a net worth of US$62.2 billion, owing to a 4% stake in Amazon. As such, Scott is the third-wealthiest woman in the United States and the 21st-wealthiest individual in the world.

Scott was named as the world’s most powerful woman by Forbes in 2021, and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.

Founded 23 years ago, Sou da Paz is dedicated to researching the proliferation of firearms in the country. Another field of action is violence prevention projects, especially in schools and among young people.

The US$1.2 million donation is in line with Sou da Paz’s annual budget and projects, the institute’s executive director, Carolina Ricardo, told Valor. She said Mackenzie’s donation came after a detailed analysis by the international consulting firm Bridgespan.

BACKER OF GENDER FUND

Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott are among philanthropists donating money to the Gender Fund, which seeks to raise US$1 billion to advance equality and women’s leadership in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Contributions to date have topped US$320mil and grant-making has begun across the three regions, Co-Impact, the fund’s manager, said in a statement on Thursday. It plans to raise the target amount over the next 10 years.

While funding for gender equality has increased over the past decade, only 1% of the total has actually reached women groups, according to the statement. The new investment vehicle will provide large, long-term, and flexible funding to predominately women-led and locally-rooted organizations.