Master Your Mindset #11:
Think and Grow Rich: Imaginary Board Member #6
A Cross Between Jeff Bezos and Ex Wife, Mackenzie Scott
From one of the self-help exercises in Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, my imaginary board member #6 is a cross between Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and his ex-wife, Mackenzie Scott.
Well, this is an imaginary board of directors after all, so why not, cross two people with very different attributes to make one AMAZING person?!?
Jeff Bezos for his founding, expansion, and evolution of Amazon, which is bar none the largest, most successful, seemingly untouchable monopoly in the history of the world. And Mackenzie Scott for her unbridled commitment to philanthropy.
Jeff Bezos early years of Amazon: founding, expansion, and evolution
Jeff was an early adopter of the internet and pondered its future opportunities which for someone who could imagine the future, the internet was a vehicle to reach the masses and build a new kind of business. Purely based on the fact that there are a greater number of books than any other product, Bezos decided to create an online bookstore. He and Mackenzie left the company where they worked together and moved to Seattle to pursue the business venture. In my last blog, about Mark Zuckerberg, I discussed how the ability to evolve is one our greatest gifts/assets. Bezos is right up there with Zuckerberg on evolving the business platform.
How McKenzie Scott became one of the wealthiest women in the world
After her divorce from Bezos, McKenzie became one of the wealthiest women in the world by retaining 25% of the Amazon stock that the couple shared (4% of the total). She became a member of the Giving Pledge where members promise at least half their wealth to charity, and she vowed to “keep at it until my safe is empty.” While she was considered the 30th wealthiest person in the world in 2020, she was listed as the 5th largest charitable giver by Forbes. If you read Google news, she is probably in first place by now.
Every day when I open the news, the first thing I see is another charitable donation by Mackenzie Scott and then I open my front door and find a package that was delivered by Amazon. They are everywhere!
Why I chose Bezos and Scott as a part of my imaginary board of directors
You never know all the personal reasons why a couple decides to split up but the alignment between Bezos and Scott for so many years has created an enormous global impact. Jeff has wicked intelligence, foresight and business strategy while Mackenzie has the compassion and the generosity to commit the proceeds of their financial success to positively impact our world.
Would I be thrilled beyond belief to have either of the two on my actual board of directors? Obviously! But the combination of the two would be a broken bat home run!
In my imaginary board meeting, I ask “Jeff Scott” for advice on setting the business apart from the competition by developing the platform so that many people build their careers on it and how to not just create wealth for the users but a better quality of life through giving back.
– Christi McAdams