Warren Buffett halts donations to Gates Foundation amid Epstein revelations

Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, has announced that the Gates Foundation will not be included in his annual stock donations. This decision comes in the wake of new information and documents surfacing regarding the relationship between Bill Gates and the late Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.

Buffett stated that he is halting his donations to the Gates Foundation but did not provide detailed explanations for his decision. He announced that he will donate approximately $6 billion worth of 12 million shares of Berkshire Hathaway Class B stock to four family foundations as part of his annual donation program. Nine million shares will be transferred to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, managed by his daughter, Susie Buffett. The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the Sherwood Foundation, and the NoVo Foundation will each receive one million shares.

Buffett indicated his intention to increase these annual donations over time, with the portion allocated to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation growing slightly faster than the others. The Gates Foundation has been one of the largest beneficiaries of Buffett's philanthropic decision made in 2006 to donate the majority of his wealth to charities. It is estimated that Buffett's total donations to the Gates Foundation between 2006 and 2025 will reach $47.9 billion. However, the foundation was not mentioned in Buffett's latest donation announcement.

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The timing of death is unpredictable.

Buffett had previously stated his intention to donate his Berkshire Hathaway shares to the Gates Foundation and family foundations throughout his lifetime. The Gates Foundation also received a share of the annual donation in 2025. Buffett said that all his remaining shares will be transferred to the four family foundations by December 31, 2034, at the latest. He noted that "the timing of death is unpredictable" and that his shares would be donated to these organizations either during his lifetime or after his death.

Buffett's decision followed the U.S. Department of Justice's release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Publicly released documents included photographs of Bill Gates with Epstein and correspondence between Epstein and Gates Foundation employees. Gates testified in a closed session before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight on June 10, 2026. The committee released the transcript of Gates's testimony on June 23. Gates acknowledged that his meeting with Epstein was a "serious error in judgment." Gates claimed he did not fully understand the extent of Epstein's crimes at the time and stated that the meetings were intended to secure donations for charitable activities. Gates asserted that he did not witness any criminal acts by Epstein and did not spend time with victims of sexual abuse. Bill Gates has not been charged with any crimes in connection with the Epstein case. The Gates Foundation's CEO, Mark Suzman, had initiated an independent review process to examine past contacts between foundation employees and Epstein.

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serious error in judgment.