Warren Buffett is reportedly withholding his customary mid-year multibillion-dollar donation to the Gates Foundation, awaiting the findings of an internal review into the organization’s connections with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the delay on Monday.
The foundation has faced scrutiny following revelations of Chairman Bill Gates’s association with Epstein. Further controversy arose in January when the U.S. Justice Department released emails showing communications between Epstein and staff at the Gates Foundation.
Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation, initiated an external review to examine past engagements with Epstein, with results anticipated this summer. Buffett is expected to make his donation decision later in the year, potentially coinciding with his Thanksgiving letter, according to sources familiar with his plans cited by the WSJ.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report, and Berkshire Hathaway and the Gates Foundation did not respond to requests for comment. Buffett, the 95-year-old chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, has contributed over $47 billion in conglomerate stock to the Gates Foundation over the past two decades.
Gates testified before Congress earlier this month, stating he “did not fully understand the extent” of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes during their association, which he claimed was aimed at raising money for his philanthropic foundation.
Gates maintained he never witnessed any criminal conduct from Epstein and accused Epstein of blackmailing him over extramarital affairs. “These affairs had nothing to do with my interactions with Epstein, but they were painful for my family,” Gates said in his opening statement. “Epstein was working to use information about my infidelities — in addition to many lies that he layered on top — to pressure me to re-engage with him.”
Congress has been investigating the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein case. Gates’s testimony focused on his contacts with the convicted sex offender, who exploited vulnerable women and girls. The Microsoft Corp co-founder provided private testimony to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is probing potential federal mismanagement in the cases against Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, among related issues.
Representative James Comer, the Republican committee chairman, had requested Gates appear for an in-person transcribed interview in a March letter. Gates reportedly hired Jake Greenberg, the oversight panel’s former chief investigative official, to prepare for his appearance, though a committee spokesperson stated they have not worked with Greenberg since his departure.
Epstein pleaded guilty to a Florida state felony prostitution charge in 2008, serving 13 months in jail. Federal prosecutors charged him with sex trafficking of minors in 2019, but he pleaded not guilty and died by suicide later that year before his trial. Documents released by the Justice Department this year indicated that Gates and Epstein met repeatedly after Epstein’s 2008 prison term to discuss expanding the tech billionaire’s philanthropic efforts.
The documents also included redacted photographs of Gates with females. Gates has previously characterized his relationship with Epstein as limited to philanthropy-related discussions and has acknowledged it was a mistake to meet with him.
A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation confirmed that Gates “took responsibility for his actions” during a February town hall meeting with employees. The controversy surrounding Gates’s relationship with Epstein prompted the Gates Foundation to launch its external review in April, further fueled by the January release of Justice Department emails showing communication between Epstein and foundation staff.
