On 30/6, The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that investment icon Warren Buffett has postponed his annual contribution to the Gates Foundation. This charitable organization was co-founded by Bill Gates and his former wife, Melinda.
Buffett wishes to await the outcome of a review into the foundation's association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The results are anticipated this summer, potentially leading to Buffett's decision by year-end, coinciding with the release of his annual letter around Thanksgiving. This marks the first time in two decades that Buffett has delayed a donation.
Since 2006, Buffett has contributed 43 billion USD to the Gates Foundation. These contributions have been made consistently each year. This year's planned donation was scheduled for June.
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Bill Gates (left) and Warren Buffett at an event at Columbia University in 1/2017. Photo: Reuters |
Gates first met Epstein in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in a Florida state court to enticing a minor. Emails and images documenting their relationship have been released in materials by the Department of Justice and the US Congress since late 2025. Epstein was arrested and died by suicide in prison in 2019, while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking and other child sexual abuse offenses.
In February, Bill Gates apologized to staff at the Gates Foundation regarding his connection to Epstein. However, he maintained that he "did nothing illegal".
In a 31/3 interview with CNBC, Buffett stated he had not spoken with Gates since the Epstein-related matters became public. The two billionaires have been friends for decades.
“I don't want to be in a situation where I know something to be considered a witness,” Buffett explained.
He also expressed no regret over the tens of billions of USD he has donated to Bill Gates' charitable foundation. “I wish some things had not happened,” Buffett remarked. But when commenting on the foundation's operations, he affirmed: “They don't take the money for themselves.”
Ha Thu (according to CNBC, WSJ)
