March 8, 2024
Elon Musk Singles Out Jeff Bezos’ Ex For Donating Billions For DEI
The CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX expressed his disapproval of Jeff Bezos' ex-wife MacKenzie Scott's charitable donations for minorities.
Elon Musk lashed out on X, formerly known as Twitter, at Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife MacKenzie Scott’s philanthropic efforts that include billions of dollars in donations to organizations benefiting women and minorities.
The CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX called Scott a “super rich ex-wife who hates her former spouse” in a since-deleted post. Musk’s criticism seemed to come from Scott’s donations to organizations that address issues of race and gender, Business Insider reported.
Musk’s post is in line with his vocal opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. “DEI is just another word for racism. Shame on anyone who uses it,” Musk wrote on X in January.
Musk’s disdain for Scott’s philanthropy is not new. In 2022 he accused her of donating to political action committees “posing as charities,” claiming her actions were motivated by animosity toward her ex-husband, Jeff Bezos, as opposed to a genuine commitment to addressing societal inequalities and empowering underserved communities.
“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,” Musk wrote.
In contrast to Musk’s criticism, Scott’s approach to philanthropy has been widely praised. Since her divorce from Bezos in 2019, Scott has donated nearly $2 billion to “343 organizations supporting the voices and opportunities of people from underserved communities.”
Her no-strings-attached approach has been welcomed by recipients, with Ruth Simmons, then-president of Prairie View A&M University, saying, “The most cherished gifts are definitely those that are unrestricted because a complex university has a wide variety of needs,” per Business Insider. Scott received $38 billion worth of Amazon shares after divorcing the Amazon founder and executive chairman.
Bezos, on the other hand, has a different strategy for giving away his wealth. “The hard part is figuring out how to do it in a levered way,” Business Insider reported that he told CNN.