MacKenzie Bezos, the former wife of Amazon.com Inc chief executive Jeff Bezos, pledged on Tuesday to give away half her fortune, estimated to be $36.6 billion, to charity, following a movement founded by billionaires Warren Buffett.
Bezos, whose former husband is the world’s richest man, was one of 19 people on Tuesday to sign the “Giving Pledge”, a campaign announced in 2010 by Berkshire Hathaway Inc’s Buffett and Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates. It urges the super-rich to give away more than half their fortunes during their lifetimes or in their wills.
“In addition to whatever assets life has nurtured in me, I have a disproportionate amount of money to share,” MacKenzie Bezos said in a statement. “My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time and effort and care.”
The fortune of Jeff Bezos was estimated by Forbes magazine to be $131 billion this year. Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos divorced earlier this year.
MacKenzie is also a successful novelist, described by author Toni Morrison as “one of the best students I’ve ever had”.