Letter: A billionaire who is an example for others
Congratulations to MacKenzie Scott for pledging to give away her fortune, realizing she could never reasonably spend it and there were important needs she could address.
The former wife of Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, has donated over $12 billion since 2020, but the rise in her shares of Amazon stock have been greater than her donations, putting her net worth around $49 billion.
Her largest gifts have been to Habitat for Humanity and Planned Parenthood. She has prioritized support for underrepresented people, giving to groups led by women, people of color and L.G.B.T.Q. people. Her gifts also reflect her concern with climate change, education and, recently, Ukraine relief.
MacKenzie Scott's humanitarianism stands in stark contrast to so many ultra-wealthy people who never seem to have enough, who fancy 400-foot yachts and multiple luxury residences and who make large political contributions to get lower taxes for themselves and their corporations, to oppose an increase in the minimum wage and unionization of workers, to sell more guns, to maintain the high price of prescription drugs, and to slow the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy even as the environment is on track to become inhospitable to human and other forms of life.
Maybe MacKenzie Scott's example will inspire other wealthy people to think more about others and a better world and less about endless accumulation.
Richard Barsanti
Western Springs