How a $1,000 College Loan Changed MacKenzie Scott’s Life—and Sparked Her Multi-Billion-Dollar Mission to Give Back
The Small Act of Kindness That Shaped One of the World’s Most Generous Philanthropists
MacKenzie Scott has become one of the most influential philanthropists of our time, donating billions of dollars to causes that support equity, education, and social progress. But behind her extraordinary giving lies a deeply personal story—one that began decades ago with a moment of desperation and a single act of kindness.
Long before she became one of the richest women in the world, Scott was a struggling college student at Princeton University. She was bright, ambitious and working hard, but like many students, she was also broke and on the edge of dropping out. One day, overwhelmed and unsure of how to continue, she broke down in her dorm room—and her roommate stepped in with a $1,000 loan that changed the course of her life.
Years later, Scott says she still thinks about that moment every time she donates a portion of her fortune. It is proof, she writes, of how powerful even small acts of generosity can be.
From College Struggles to Global Philanthropy
After her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019, Scott received about 4 percent of Amazon’s shares—roughly 139 million shares at the time. She had been part of the company since its earliest years, helping with business plans and contracts during its infancy.
Instead of letting her wealth grow indefinitely, Scott began giving it away at a historic pace. Since 2020, she has donated or sold more than 58 million shares—reducing her stake by 42 percent—and donated over $19.25 billion through her platform, Yield Giving, which she launched in 2022.
Today, even after giving away unprecedented amounts of money, Scott remains worth more than $35 billion.
Her charitable focus stretches across thousands of organizations, including those supporting education, DEI programs, disaster recovery, community empowerment, and more. In just the last few months, she has donated more than $400 million, with many organizations receiving the largest gifts in their histories.
The Ripple Effect of Early Support
In an essay published on October 15, Scott reflected on how generosity early in her life shaped her understanding of giving. She described moments when she received help that she didn’t expect—and desperately needed.
She wrote about a local dentist who offered free dental work when she couldn’t afford to fix a broken tooth. And she wrote about the day her college roommate found her crying, overwhelmed, and unable to pay for school.
Instead of letting her leave Princeton, her roommate quietly loaned her $1,000. It wasn’t a massive sum by billionaire standards today, but for Scott at that time, it meant everything.
“It is these ripple effects that make imagining the power of any of our own acts of kindness impossible,” Scott reflected. That one act helped her stay in school, graduate, and eventually become a successful novelist and later one of the most impactful philanthropists in modern history.
A Friendship That Sparked Another Mission
Scott’s roommate, Jeannie Ringo Tarkenton, never forgot how meaningful that loan was either. Two decades later, she founded Funding U—a company designed to help low-income students secure loans without needing a co-signer. According to Princeton, the organization has since provided more than $80 million in affordable loans to around 8,000 students.
Tarkenton downplays her own role, insisting Scott would have finished college regardless. But she acknowledges that even small acts of grace can accumulate into something powerful.
Scott’s journey—from a borrowed $1,000 to billions donated—proves just how true that is.
The Impact of a Single Moment
Scott’s story resonates because it highlights something universal: the way kindness multiplies. A roommate’s instinct to help a friend in need didn’t just keep Scott in school—it indirectly helped millions of people around the world who now benefit from her philanthropy.
Her life reminds us that generosity is not measured by the size of the gift, but by the heart behind it. And sometimes, the smallest act can shape a future no one could have imagined.