Warren Buffett stops Gates Foundation donations following Epstein revelations

OMAHA, Nebraska – Warren Buffett said on July 14 that he has stopped donating money to the Gates Foundation, following revelations about interactions between the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Buffett said he is donating about US$6 billion (S$7.8 billion) of Berkshire Hathaway stock, comprising 12 million Class B shares, in his annual mid-year donation to four family foundations overseen by his daughter Susie and sons Howard and Peter.

The 95-year-old Berkshire chairman did not mention the Gates Foundation, which has received more than US$47 billion of the conglomerate’s stock since Buffett, in 2006, made what he called an irrevocable pledge to donate shares throughout his lifetime. Buffett’s donation was more than US$4.5 billion in 2025.

“Of course, mortality is unpredictable, but my remaining shares will be donated to the four foundations one way or the other by Dec 31, 2034,” Buffett said in a statement.

The Gates Foundation did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Berkshire did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Gates regrets ties to Epstein

Bill Gates has seen his reputation tarnished following the US Department of Justice’s release of files about Epstein in February.

These included photos of Gates posing with the financier and with women whose faces were redacted. E-mails also showed communications between Epstein and the foundation’s staff.

In June, Gates told Congress that he “did not fully understand the extent” of Epstein’s crimes when he associated with the financier, including in meetings focused on possible philanthropy.

Gates, 70, has not been accused of any crimes. He has repeatedly expressed regret for having anything to do with Epstein, denied spending time with victims of Epstein’s sexual abuse, and said he never witnessed criminal conduct by Epstein.

Donations to family charities

Buffett has donated well over half his Berkshire stock since he began giving away his fortune in 2006.

He owned close to 14 per cent of Berkshire’s stock before the latest donations, and was worth US$147 billion according to Forbes magazine.

Buffett is donating nine million Class B shares of Berkshire to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and one million shares to each of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Sherwood Foundation and NoVo Foundation.

He said his goal is for the grants to increase annually and for grants to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation to grow somewhat faster.

Susie Buffett leads the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, which funds reproductive health. It is named after her mother, Warren Buffett’s first wife.

The Sherwood Foundation supports Nebraska non-profits and early childhood education. The Howard G. Buffett Foundation focuses on global hunger, combating human trafficking and mitigating conflicts. The NoVo Foundation has initiatives focused on marginalised girls and women, and on indigenous communities. REUTERS