MacKenzie Scott Quietly Divorces Second Husband, 3 Years After Bezos Split
MacKenzie Scott, one of the richest women in America, is divorcing her second husband Dan Jewett, a former science teacher at her children’s school.
According to The New York Times, which first reported the news, Scott submitted her divorce petition on Monday in King County, Washington. The pair had married last year.
Earlier in the day, the Times reported that Scott had removed Jewett’s name from a number of online sites, including her Giving Pledge biography and a Medium post about her philanthropy. She was also named alone in two major gift announcements; Jewett’s name had typically appeared alongside hers.
The Times reported that Jewett “did not contest the divorce” and that the terms of their separation will be guided by an existing—and private—separation contract.
A copy of the petition said the division of properties, possible debts, and court fees are all outlined in the contract. The filing also stated that spousal support “is not needed” and that Scott did not request a restraining order.
Scott is worth an estimated $34.9 billion, according to Forbes, making her the fourth-wealthiest woman in the country. That fortune is comprised almost entirely of her stake in Amazon, the retailing giant founded by Jeff Bezos—and which she helped launch. She and Bezos, whom she met at the hedge fund D.E. Shaw, were married for 25 years before their highly publicized 2019 divorce.
Since that time, Scott has emerged as one of the most prolific philanthropists in history, pledging to offload her assets “until the safe is empty,” according to a Giving Pledge letter that previously included Jewett’s name. To date that has amounted to more than $12 billion in gifts.
Jewett had also published his own Giving Pledge letter, in which he spoke effusively of Scott, though it has since been removed from the website. “It is strange to be writing a letter indicating I plan to give away the majority of my wealth during my lifetime, as I have never sought to gather the kind of wealth required to feel like saying such a thing would have particular meaning,” he wrote at the time.
“In a stroke of happy coincidence,” he continued, “I am married to one of the most generous and kind people I know—and joining her in a commitment to pass on an enormous financial wealth to serve others.”
Scott, who has remained exceptionally private in recent years, did not make a public comment on her social media accounts on Wednesday, and her lawyer did not respond to the Times’ request for comment.
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