Who Is the Second Richest Woman in the World
The second richest woman in the world is MacKenzie Scott, an American philanthropist and former spouse of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Her wealth primarily comes from her stake in Amazon and later from a large divorce settlement that gave her a significant share of Bezos's fortune. She has consistently ranked among the top women globally by net worth in Forbes real-time billionaire rankings, with her position driven by Amazon's market value and her own asset allocation.
As of the newest publicly available Forbes data, MacKenzie Scott's net worth is estimated in the tens of billions of dollars, making her the second richest woman in the world behind LVMH heiress Bernard Arnault's family members or Alice Walton depending on the exact snapshot. Her ranking can shift with Amazon's stock price, changes in her philanthropy, and movements in other asset classes. The Forbes billionaires list and real-time trackers remain the primary sources for her current position among the wealthiest women globally.
How MacKenzie Scott Built Her Fortune
MacKenzie Scott's wealth grew from her early role as a writer and researcher at the hedge fund firm D.E. Shaw to her marriage to Jeff Bezos in 1993. She later received a 25% stake in Amazon as part of their divorce settlement in 2019, which significantly increased her net worth as Amazon's market capitalization expanded over the following years.
She has since sold portions of her Amazon shares and diversified into other investments, while also pledging the majority of her wealth to philanthropic causes through the Bezos Family Foundation and her own giving pledges. Her financial profile is closely followed by investors and analysts tracking Amazon's performance and the broader wealth of the Bezos family, as reported by Forbes and other financial data platforms.
Ranking Among the Richest Women Globally
MacKenzie Scott's position as the second richest woman in the world is based on Forbes real-time net worth estimates and periodic billionaires lists. The ranking compares her against other female billionaires such as Alice Walton, Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, and members of the Arnault family, with shifts in stock prices and asset values causing frequent changes in the order.
Forbes and Bloomberg Billionaires Index regularly update the net worth figures for the world's richest women, using public market data, company filings, and ownership disclosures. MacKenzie Scott's ranking is influenced by Amazon's share price, her charitable giving, and any new business or investment moves, with the latest public snapshots confirming her place among the top two wealthiest women globally.