MacKenzie Bezos, the ex-wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, has promised to give half of her $36 billion fortune to charity.

After divorcing Bezos last year and gaining four per cent of the company in the settlement, MacKenzie has now joined the Giving Pledge - an initiative started by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, asking for the world's wealthiest people to give half or more of their wealth away to charity.

In a statement made on Saturday as part of the Giving Pledge, MacKenzie said: "I have no doubt that tremendous value comes when people act quickly on the impulse to give:

"We each come by the gifts we have to offer by an infinite series of influences and lucky breaks we can never fully understand. In addition to whatever assets life has nurtured in me, I have a disproportionate amount of money to share. My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time and effort and care. But I won’t wait. And I will keep at it until the safe is empty."

Bezos himself was supportive of his former spouse's decision and took to Twitter to state: "MacKenzie is going to be amazing and thoughtful and effective at philanthropy, and I’m proud of her. Her letter is so beautiful. Go get ‘em MacKenzie."

Thus far, the pledge has been signed by 204 individuals, couples and families from 23 countries around the world. Signatories include Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Bloomberg, Ted Turner, and Richard Branson.

MacKenzie Bezos, the ex-wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, has promised to give half of her $36 billion fortune to charity.

After divorcing Bezos last year and gaining four per cent of the company in the settlement, MacKenzie has now joined the Giving Pledge - an initiative started by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, asking for the world's wealthiest people to give half or more of their wealth away to charity.

In a statement made on Saturday as part of the Giving Pledge, MacKenzie said: "I have no doubt that tremendous value comes when people act quickly on the impulse to give:

"We each come by the gifts we have to offer by an infinite series of influences and lucky breaks we can never fully understand. In addition to whatever assets life has nurtured in me, I have a disproportionate amount of money to share. My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time and effort and care. But I won’t wait. And I will keep at it until the safe is empty."

Bezos himself was supportive of his former spouse's decision and took to Twitter to state: "MacKenzie is going to be amazing and thoughtful and effective at philanthropy, and I’m proud of her. Her letter is so beautiful. Go get ‘em MacKenzie."

Thus far, the pledge has been signed by 204 individuals, couples and families from 23 countries around the world. Signatories include Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Bloomberg, Ted Turner, and Richard Branson.