November 25, 2025
MacKenzie Scott’s $700 million worth of HBCU donations brings new attention to the mentorship she received from Toni Morrison.
Before MacKenzie Scott met Jeff Bezos and became part of one of the world’s wealthiest couples, she was a young writer at Princeton studying under the guidance of literary legend Toni Morrison, a mentor who played a role in shaping the early part of her career.
The novelist and philanthropist, now recognized as the world’s 40th wealthiest person, graduated from Princeton University in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in English. During her time there, she studied under Nobel Prize–winning author Toni Morrison, who became a significant mentor in her development, Today reports.
After graduating, Scott relocated to New York City and applied for a position at the hedge fund D.E. Shaw & Co. Morrison reportedly called the firm with a glowing recommendation about her former student, helping Scott land the job. It was there that Scott met Jeff Bezos, then a senior vice president. The two began dating and were engaged within three months. Six months later, they married and eventually became one of the wealthiest couples in the world. The couple later divorced in 2019.
Scott continued developing her writing career while supporting Bezos behind the scenes as he built Amazon. In 2005, she earned the American Book Award for her debut novel, The Testing of Luther Albright. She published her second novel, Traps, in 2013, around the same time Morrison reflected on her experience teaching Scott at Princeton, telling Vogue that she was “one of the best students I’ve ever had in my creative-writing classes . . . really one of the best.”
Now, given the billions Scott has donated to organizations and institutions advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, including more than $700 million in historic gifts to HBCUs, like $80 million to Howard, $63 million to Morgan State, and $50 million to Virginia University, her philanthropic legacy also underscores the profound influence Morrison likely had on her early development.
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