A claim that Tesla founder Elon Musk once accused MacKenzie Scott, novelist, philanthropist, and ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, of “destroying Western civilization” is currently resurfacing on social media. These rumors spread on various platforms, including Reddit, where one post claimed that Musk had criticized Scott for her philanthropy, which focuses on women, minorities, and marginalized groups.
The claim, which cites a tweet from Musk, is true but requires context, according to a Snopes report.
In March 2024, Musk posted a now-deleted tweet that read, “Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse should be listed among ‘Reasons that Western Civilization died.'” Musk was responding to a post that criticized Scott’s philanthropic efforts, specifically noting that over half of her donations went to organizations focused on race and gender issues. The post asked, “Who is Bezos’ ex giving money to?”
While Musk didn’t directly name Scott, the context of his reply clearly pointed to the ex-wife of Bezos. The deleted tweet sparked significant backlash, and Musk later removed it. However, the tweet was preserved in the internet archive.
This wasn’t the first time Musk publicly criticized Scott’s charitable work. In May 2022, Musk expressed concerns about her donations, particularly to Democratic causes, according to a Snopes report. He suggested that Scott, in retaliation for her divorce from Bezos, was targeting all tech moguls, including him, by supporting political movements he believed opposed his business ventures, like Tesla.
Scott is a prominent philanthropist. At the time of her 2019 divorce from Jeff Bezos, after 25 years of marriage, Scott, 50, received a 4% stake in Amazon. Forbes currently estimates her net worth at $30 billion, a decrease from $38 billion just days earlier and significantly lower than her peak of $59 billion in 2021.
