Warren Buffett breaks 20-year tradition by suspending donations to Gates Foundation amid Epstein Files probe | Today’s news
Warren Buffett has reportedly suspended a tradition of semi-annual giving to the Gates Foundation, opting instead to wait for an investigative report into the organization’s possible ties to sex offender Jeffery Epstein, The Wall Street Journal reported. Notably, this is the first time in 20 years that an investor has decided to suspend his donation to the Gates Foundation.
Warren Buffett is delaying a donation decision until the end of 2026
The 95-year-old chairman of Berkshire Hathaway is believed to be delaying his annual donation decision until later in 2026.
The Wall Street Journal also reported, citing officials familiar with the development, that the announcement of Buffett’s donation to the Gates Foundation could coincide with his traditional thank-you letter to shareholders and the public.
Read also | Warren Buffett may stop donating to Gates Foundation after Epstein saga
For years, Warren Buffett has transferred billions of dollars worth of Berkshire stock to the Gates Foundation every June or early July, a practice rooted in a “lifetime” pledge he made as he deepened his philanthropic partnership with the organization founded by Bill and Melinda Gates.
A law firm review of Epstein’s ties is expected this summer
The Gates Foundation commissioned law firm WilmerHale to conduct a comprehensive review of its historical connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
Warren Buffett, along with several people close to him, reportedly communicated directly with senior management at the Gates Foundation, including CEO Mark Suzman, in an effort to better understand the nature of Epstein’s ties.
A decade of giving to the Gates Foundation, now suspended
Between 2006 and 2025, Warren Buffett reportedly contributed approximately $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, typically transferring tranches of Berkshire Hathaway stock around the middle of each calendar year. Buffett formally stepped down as a trustee of the foundation in 2021, shortly after Bill and Melinda Gates announced their divorce.
Read also | Fact Check: Is Bill Gates Attending AI Summit? What the Gates Foundation said
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in 2024, Warren Buffett indicated that the Gates Foundation would not receive any additional funds from his estate after his death. That same year, Melinda French Gates left the organization she co-founded, choosing instead to focus on her own independent philanthropic projects.
It should be noted that Warren Buffett’s decision on whether to continue contributing to the Gates Foundation would not affect his other philanthropic efforts, which include foundations run by his three children as well as the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named in honor of his first wife.
The friendship with Gates has been strained since the release of the Epstein files
Warren Buffett’s longtime friendship with Bill Gates has reportedly come under considerable strain following the release of Justice Department files related to the Epstein case, the Wall Street Journal reported.
During an interview with CNBC in March, Buffett revealed that he had not spoken to Gates since the files were released, adding that he intended to wait and assess what other information emerged before finalizing his usual award decision at the end of June.
Read also | ‘The Gates Foundation has no money after I die’: Warren Buffett
The strain in the relationship was further highlighted during testimony before the House Oversight Committee in mid-June, when Gates told lawmakers that his last conversation with Buffett took place in January, before the Epstein files were released. According to a transcript of that conversation, Bill Gates, 70, told the committee, “We talked about my health issues and some other things.”
Gates absent from Berkshire annual meeting for first time in years
In early May 2026, Bill Gates did not attend Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting, an event hosted by Warren Buffett’s company, which he led for a decade and on whose board Gates served until 2020.
Although Gates was not formally barred from attending, several people reportedly advised him not to make the trip.
Read also | Melinda Gates Resigns as Co-Chair of Gates Foundation: ‘It’s Time for Me to…’
Bill Gates’ team was reportedly informed that they would not be allowed to sit in a section of the seat traditionally reserved for Warren Buffett, the Berkshire board of directors, and other prominent business figures, including Tim Cook.
Gates Foundation Legacy
Since its inception, the Gates Foundation has made approximately $110 billion in charitable distributions worldwide. This body of work has contributed to the development of new vaccines against meningitis and malaria, improved treatments for drug-resistant tuberculosis, and various tools aimed at improving women’s health globally.
About a year ago, Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, announced that the Gates Foundation intends to distribute more than $200 billion over the next two decades, which includes the rest of its endowment, with plans to formally close the organization at the end of 2045. In preparation for the eventual shutdown, the foundation informed its employees of 05 positions in the coming years that it will reduce its headcount by 2026 in addition to efforts to reduce overall operating costs.
