Elon Musk Criticizes MacKenzie Scott’s Charitable Giving
Elon Musk, the outspoken entrepreneur and CEO, has taken aim at MacKenzie Scott’s philanthropic efforts in a recent social media post. Musk’s critique suggests a deeper disdain for charitable activities and divergent views on diversity and inclusion.
In a noteworthy X post, Musk quipped, “‘Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse’ should be listed among ‘Reasons that Western Civilization died,'” in reference to Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott. The comment was a response to another user’s observation that Scott had been supporting organizations addressing race and gender issues.
It remains unclear why Musk singled out Scott, but this isn’t the first time he has criticized her philanthropy. Musk, a vocal opponent of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, previously labeled DEI as “just another word for racism” in a January X post.
In a twist of political commentary, Musk revealed in May 2022 that he planned to vote Republican, citing perceived neglect from the Democratic Party toward his companies, Tesla and SpaceX. He attributed this alleged disregard in part to Scott’s donations to “PACs posing as charities.”
Musk didn’t shy away from expressing his perception of Scott’s feelings towards him, stating, “It’s safe to say that MacKenzie [ahem] Scott is not exactly a big fan of her ex-husband. Unfortunately, a lot of others are getting caught in the crossfire,” in a previous X post.
Scott, who was married to Jeff Bezos for 25 years before their 2019 divorce, received $38 billion worth of Amazon shares in the settlement. Since then, she has gained attention for her substantial philanthropic endeavors. In a Medium post in 2022, Scott disclosed nearly $2 billion in donations to 343 organizations supporting underserved communities, including a $275 million contribution to Planned Parenthood.
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Unlike many philanthropists, Scott adopts a no-strings-attached approach to her giving, earning praise for providing autonomy to the organizations she supports. Notably, Prairie View A&M University received a $50 million donation in 2020, one of the largest in its history.
In contrast to Scott’s approach, Jeff Bezos, Scott’s ex-husband and founder of Amazon, expressed challenges in engaging with philanthropy. He highlighted the difficulty of executing effective giving and emphasized the need for careful consideration and a brilliant team.
While Musk himself engages in philanthropy through the Musk Foundation, which he co-founded with his brother Kimbal in 2002, his critique of Scott adds a layer of controversy to the broader conversation around charitable giving and societal responsibility.
No comments were provided by representatives for Musk and Scott at the time of this report.
