BILLIONAIRE BUFFETT HOLDS OFF ON GATES FOUNDATION DONATION AWAITING EPSTEIN REVIEW

Tue 30 June 2026:

For the first time in 20 years, US billionaire Warren Buffett is skipping his usual midyear donation to the Gates Foundation as he waits for the results of an internal review into the group’s ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

Investor and philanthropist Buffet, 95, plans to make a decision later this year, possibly alongside his annual Thanksgiving letter, the report said.

The foundation has been rocked by controversy due to Chairman Bill Gates’ association with Epstein, who died in a jail cell in 2019. A release of emails early this year also showed communication between Epstein and staff of the Gates Foundation.

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Buffett has traditionally donated billions of dollars in shares of his Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate – which he was CEO of until recently – in June or July under a “lifetime” giving pledge he made after deepening his relationship with the Gates Foundation.

The Gates Foundation hired law firm WilmerHale to examine its connections to Epstein, with findings expected this summer.

According to the report, Buffett and people close to him have been in contact with foundation leaders, including CEO Mark Suzman, to better understand the review and the foundation’s ties to Epstein.

Between 2006 and 2025, Buffett donated about $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, typically through annual transfers of Berkshire shares. He stepped down as a foundation trustee in 2021 following the divorce of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates.

Buffett’s longtime friendship with the Microsoft co-founder has reportedly cooled since the Justice Department released files related to the Epstein case.

In a March interview, Buffett said he had not spoken with Gates since the files were made public and wanted to learn more before deciding on his annual donation.

-Source: AA

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