MacKenzie Scott is now the wealthiest woman in the world

Author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is now the world's richest woman, according to Bloomberg's Billionare index. 

With a net worth of $68 billion, Scott is also the 12th wealthiest person in the world. Scott claimed her new title as the richest woman after surpassing L'Oreal heiress Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, who boasts a net worth of $66.8 billion. 

The novelist received a 4% stake in Amazon, valued at more than $59.3 billion, after her divorce with Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. After the split, Scott pledged to give the majority of her wealth to charity. 

Not a millionaire but want to be:Money tips and advice delivered right to your inbox. Sign up here

Scott is part of the Giving Pledge, founded by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates to fund groups working to address poverty alleviation, refugee aid, disaster relief, global health, education, among other issues. 

In July, Scott donated more than $1.7 billion to diverse organizations, including historically Black colleges and universities.

Bezos is the richest man in the world. His wealth reached an estimated $207 billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index. Bezo's wealth has increased by more than $57 billion since May.

Amazon has seen its shares rise 80% so far this year. The company has been one of multiple driving forces pushing the S&P 500 index to an all-time high – even during a recession.

Amazon Prime, Walmart+ and Instacart:The perks, costs and how membership programs compare

Apple and Tesla:What's a stock split?

Follow Coral Murphy on Twitter @CoralMerfi