MacKenzie Scott donates $20 million to youth mental health charity

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has made a record $20 million donation to Active Minds, an organization dedicated to tackling the youth mental health crisis in the United States. This significant contribution marks the largest single gift the non-profit has ever received.

The donation arrives at a critical juncture for American adolescents, with recent data indicating that nearly one in five teenagers report experiencing thoughts of self-harm. Active Minds' annual revenue was approximately $9.9 million in the 2025 financial year, making Scott's donation more than double their yearly fundraising.

Scott, whose net worth is estimated at $36 billion, has consistently demonstrated a commitment to giving back, distributing an average of nearly $10 million daily over the past seven years. Her philanthropic philosophy is deeply rooted in her own experiences with financial hardship. During her time at Princeton University, she juggled a demanding academic load with a 30-hour work week, and at one point faced the possibility of leaving university due to a $1,000 shortfall in tuition fees.

Her past struggles extended to basic healthcare, famously resorting to using denture adhesive to temporarily fix a broken tooth because she could not afford dental treatment. A local dentist eventually provided free care. These challenging years also impacted her writing, with Scott crediting author Toni Morrison for providing support during her studies.

Before her immense wealth, Scott lived modestly while helping to establish Amazon with her then-husband, Jeff Bezos. In 1994, Bezos left a lucrative Wall Street career to pursue the burgeoning internet, a decision Scott fully supported. The couple embarked on a cross-country road trip in a borrowed car, during which Bezos drafted Amazon's initial business plan.

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couldn't wait to hop in the car