Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently sparked controversy by criticizing MacKenzie Scott's charity choices. Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has donated billions to various causes since their divorce in 2019.
Elon Musk's Comments on MacKenzie Scott
Musk's criticism of Scott's philanthropy came in response to an X user's comment about her donations to organizations focused on issues of race and gender.
X owner Musk, who has been, on multiple occasions, accused of antisemitism, white pride support, and transphobia, has been very active on X, sharing his views and memes.
Musk's now-deleted tweet," 'Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse' should filed be listed among 'Reasons that Western Civilization died,'" drew attention to his disdain for Scott's approach to charitable giving.
This is not the first time that "half Democrat, half Republican" Musk has taken aim at Scott's philanthropic efforts. In May 2022, he suggested that her donations influenced his political affiliations, claiming that she donated to "PACs posing as charities."
"It's safe to say that Mackenzie Scott is not exactly a big fan of her ex-husband. Unfortunately, a lot of others are getting caught in the crossfire," Musk wrote at the time.
Despite Musk's criticism, Scott has continued her philanthropic endeavors, donating nearly $2 billion to 343 organizations in 2022 alone.
Elon Musk and His Own Charity
Scott's approach to philanthropy differs from many others in that she opts for no-strings-attached donations, providing racial equity advocate organizations with autonomy in how they utilize the funds.
This approach has earned her praise from recipients, such as Ruth Simmons, former president of Prairie View A&M University, who lauded Scott's $50 million unrestricted donation to the institution in 2020.
On the other hand, Musk himself engages in philanthropy, donating $5.7 billion worth of Tesla shares to the Musk Foundation in 2021. The foundation supports various causes, including renewable energy, space exploration, and artificial intelligence.
Musk's charitable contributions have garnered attention, particularly his $160 million donation to nonprofits in 2021, including $55 million to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
In related news, Musk's SpaceX is facing legal action for allegedly terminating eight engineers who opposed CEO Elon Musk and accused him of sexist behavior.
The case, which was scheduled before National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Administrative Law Judge Sharon Steckler in Los Angeles, spurred SpaceX to file a lawsuit attempting to halt the proceedings, citing constitutional concerns.
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