Warren Buffett halts Gates Foundation donations after Bill Gates’ Epstein ties surface

A two-decade giving streak ends

For the first time in nearly twenty years, Warren Buffett has not included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in his annual midyear philanthropy. On Tuesday, the 95-year-old Berkshire Hathaway chairman confirmed he was donating about $6 billion worth of his company’s stock exclusively to four family foundations, marking a decisive break with the charity he had supported with more than $47 billion since 2006. Buffett made no reference to the Gates Foundation in his statement, a silence that was immediately read as a response to the fresh disclosures about Bill Gates’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Of course, mortality is unpredictable, but my remaining shares will be donated to the four foundations one way or the other by December 31, 2034.

Epstein files bring renewed pressure

The Justice Department released a trove of Epstein-related documents earlier this year, including photographs of Bill Gates with the late convicted sex offender and emails between Epstein and Gates Foundation staff. The revelations revived a controversy that had already contributed to the Gateses’ divorce and to Buffett’s resignation as a trustee of the foundation in 2021. In June, Gates testified before Congress that he “did not fully understand the extent” of Epstein’s crimes when the two met to discuss potential philanthropic projects.

I did not fully understand the extent of Epstein’s crimes.

Gates has not been accused of any wrongdoing and has repeatedly said he regrets the encounters. He also denied ever witnessing criminal conduct or spending time with Epstein’s abuse victims.

Money redirected to family foundations

The $6 billion gift announced Tuesday was divided among the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, which received 9 million Berkshire Class B shares, and three charities run by Buffett’s children – the Sherwood Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and the NoVo Foundation – which each got 1 million shares. The total, roughly $6 billion, is comparable to his 2025 donation, but the previous year’s disbursement had included more than $4.5 billion for the Gates Foundation alone. The shift means the family foundations will absorb the entire annual commitment that once flowed to the global health and development giant.

Giving timeline accelerates

Buffett’s announcement also moved up his timetable for disposing of his Berkshire stake, which Forbes estimates is worth about $147 billion. He now intends to donate all of his remaining shares to the four foundations by the end of 2034, rather than leaving the task to his children to complete within a decade of his death. That acceleration ensures that his entire fortune will be distributed under his own direction, a goal he has articulated since launching his philanthropic pledge in 2006.

Foundation review and what comes next

The Gates Foundation has commissioned an independent review of its past interactions with Epstein and is expected to update its vetting procedures. According to the Wall Street Journal, Buffett is waiting for the results of that review before deciding whether to resume gifts. Neither Berkshire Hathaway nor the Gates Foundation responded to requests for comment on Tuesday. Bill Gates, now 70, remains a co-chair of the foundation but has faced sustained criticism over his judgment in associating with Epstein, even as he was never charged. For Buffett, who built a reputation on careful stewardship and personal integrity, distancing himself from the controversy appears to have become a priority.