Mackenzie Scott doubles donations despite Elon Musk's accusations

• Elon Musk criticized Mackenzie Scott for her charitable work, but that did not stop her from donating.
• Scott doubled her pledge of $250 million, bringing it to $640 million.
• Musk previously accused Scott of being a “super-rich ex-wife” who is destroying Western civilization.

MacKenzie Scott, Jeff Bezos' ex-wife, may have fallen into Elon Musk's crosshairs this month for making charitable gifts.

But that did not prevent her from pouring her wealth into charitable causes. Scott announced Tuesday that she would be Donating $640 million to 361 organizations.

The prize is more than doubled $250 million was initially pledged to donate last year.

Lever for changeThe organization that helped Scott with her charitable gifts says 279 nonprofits will receive $2 million each while the remaining 82 will receive $1 million each.

According to Lever for Change, the call for applications is open “250 prizes of $1 million each are initially planned.” But in light of “the incredible work of these organizations, as assessed by their peers and external committee members, the donor team decided to expand the pool of awardees and the award amount,” according to Lever for Change.

Scott's huge donation comes weeks after Musk criticized her charitable work.

“‘Ultra-rich ex-wives who hate their ex-husbands’ should be included among the ‘causes of the death of Western civilization,’” Musk said in X’s now-deleted March 6 post.

Musk did not explain why he chose Scott, but he has been a vocal critic of efforts to promote corporate diversity, equality and inclusion.

“DEI is just another word for racism. Shame on anyone who uses it,” Musk said in a message. Share X In January.

This wasn't the first time Musk rebuked Scott for donating billions to charity. In May 2022, Musk claimed that the Democratic Party marginalized his companies because Scott donated to “Political action committees that pretend to be charities.“

“It's safe to say that Mackenzie [ahem] Scott is not a big fan of her ex-husband. “Unfortunately, many others have been caught in the crossfire,” Musk said in his remarks. Share X On May 31, 2022.

Scott has certainly been generous with her donations, and Musk's opinion about how she handles her money likely didn't matter in the donation process.

Scott said in a post on her website: Give returnThe nonprofit was selected “from a pool of more than 6,000 applicants.” The 361 organizations “were promoted by peer organizations and a second-round evaluation panel” and “are vital agents of change,” she wrote.

Scott's donations this year also include support for women's health and minority groups. She donates to American Civil Liberties Union Of Alabama, the Center for the Empowerment of Refugees and Migrants, And the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies, For example but not limited to.

“This open call award helps us take our fight for justice and equality to the next level, and continue our work to dismantle the legal, structural, and cultural barriers that contribute to gender inequality,” said Megan Peterson, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group. Gender justicehe said of Scott's donation. Peterson's organization will receive $2 million from Scott.

And unlike most philanthropists who connect Specific reporting requirements To fund them, Scott stands out with it A no-holds-barred approach towards its donations.

In 2022, Scott said in a Blog post Medium says it has donated nearly $2 billion to “343 organizations that support the voices and opportunities of people from underserved communities.”

Scott's donations in 2022 included $275 million To family planning and 15 million dollars To the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.

Representatives for Scott at Lever for Change and Musk did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside normal business hours.