At $ 37 billion, has MacKenzie Bezos got a fair settlement of the divorce?

And why is it important? you ask. Why am I occupying a private wedding business? Philanthropy women? Well, it turns out that we now know the answer to the question: did MacKenzie Bezos get a fair settlement of the divorce? – had huge implications for philanthropy. MacKenzie Bezos is one of the newest signers of the Giving Pledge, pledging to sell at least 50% of his badets during his lifetime.

While divorcing in a state of collective property like Washington, where all resources are considered to be jointly owned by a marriage, MacKenzie was eligible to receive up to $ 69 billion. Before the Bezo's divorce was pronounced, much of the discussion had suggested that the split could be split in 50/50, with MacKenzie earning about $ 69 billion. The actual amount – $ 37 billion – is a little smaller than that. Jeff Bezos, with an estimated net worth of $ 137.2 billion, represents only 26.9% of this amount. Far from 50/50.

If MacKenzie had won 50%, or about $ 69 billion, that would have meant philanthropy would have pulled $ 34.5 billion from pledging the pledge, not the current $ 17 billion. It's a big difference. Think of all the philanthropy that MacKenzie Bezos will now promote for years and years. All this philanthropy could have been doubled in size, or support twice as many organizations and initiatives.

The Bezos divorce corresponds to most divorces in the United States, where women leave with much less than men. After divorce, men's standard of living increases on average by about 33%, while that of women falls by about 20%. Other studies have shown that women's income after divorce has dropped by 41% on average. True to his habits, Jeff Bezos goes with a net worth of more than $ 100 billion, while MacKenzie now has a level of wealth less than half of his own.

It may seem like I'm looking for a gift as a gift by suggesting that $ 37 billion is not an adequate settlement for MacKenzie Bezos, but if we really want to solve women's issues in society, we need to look at the root of the problem. problem. problem. The current divorce divide in the United States is at the root of the problem. As long as our legal system will give women much less money than men on divorce, they will control a lot less badets, which will affect their ability to live well, in the case of most women who are pushed into poverty by divorce and helping others live well, in the case of MacKenzie Bezos and his commitment to Giving Pledge.

And yet, this settlement has made MacKenzie Bezos one of the richest women in the world, suggesting that she has done much better than many other divorced in the 1%. It is unclear to what extent wealthy women generally succeed in divorce because most of this information is confidential. But this would be good information, as this information could have an impact on progressive donations, with women being more likely to fuel efforts for diversity, inclusion and system change.

Strengthening Philanthropy After Divorce: Mackenzie Bezos Signs Engagement

MacKenzie Bezos appears to be part of this group of donors focused on diversity and inclusion, being a long-time supporter of marriage equality and the founder of Bystander Revolution, an anti-bullying effort that puts Focus on acceptance, tolerance and celebration of the difference. It has also supported efforts to bring more veterans to political office (inclusion) and to help undocumented immigrants enroll in the university (diversity and inclusion). In addition, she has been a major funder of cancer and Alzheimer's research.

MacKenzie Bezos is also a fiction writer, bringing with her an unusual capacity for creative thinking as she struggles to yield half of her $ 37 billion divorce settlement. MacKenzie Bezos is the author of two novels and received the 2006 American Book Award for his novel Luther Albright's test.

Given all these resources, MacKenzie Bezos has a lot to offer in philanthropy. She articulates her reasons for signing the generosity pact, paying particular attention to the value of relationships, another important theme of feminist philanthropy. Who knows if MacKenzie will take a particularly feminist approach when distributing about $ 17 billion in her lifetime? We can hope.

Here is the complete letter from MacKenzie Bezos on her decision to sign the pledge:

May 25, 2019

Thinking of the Make a donation, My mind was constantly searching for a pbadage that I had read about writing, about not keeping our best ideas for later chapters, to use them now.

I found it this morning on a shelf of my college books, near the end of Annie Dillard's The Writing Life. It has been highlighted and featured as all the words that have inspired me most over the years, words that have proved true in context and also true in life:

"Do not store what looks good for a later place in the book, or for another book … The impulse to save something good for a better place is the signal to spend it now. Something more will come up for later, something better … Everything you do not give freely and abundantly gets lost. You open your safe and you find ashes.

I am convinced that giving impetus quickly gives considerable value. No motivation has more positive workout effects than the desire to serve. Each of us can draw a lot of resources from his safe to share with others – time, attention, knowledge, patience, creativity, talent, effort, humor, compbadion. And of course, every time we give something bigger: the easy breathing of a friend with whom we sat when we had other projects, the relief on the face of our child when we tell the story History of our own mistake, laughter at the appropriate moment joke, we say to someone who cries, to the excitement of the children of the school to which we send books, to the safety of the families who sleep in the shelters we finance. These immediate results are just the beginning. Their value continues to multiply and spread in ways that we may never know.

We all arrive by the gifts we have to offer through an endless series of influences and lucky breaks that we will never fully understand. In addition to the badets that life has nurtured in me, I have a disproportionate amount to share. My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time, effort and care. But I will not wait. And I will continue until the safe is empty.

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Author: Kiersten Marek

Kiersten Marek, LICSW, is the founder of Philanthropy women. She practices clinical social work in Cranston, Rhode Island, and describes how donors and their allies advance social change.
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