The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has confirmed it is conducting an external review of its past associations with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following the emergence of Justice Department documents that reference the Microsoft co-founder. The review represents the nonprofit's most direct effort to address connections that have cast a shadow over its global health and development work.
Bill Gates reportedly spoke candidly about his relationship with Epstein during a February town hall with foundation staff. The foundation’s CEO, Mark Suzman, commissioned the review in March with the support of Gates and the independent governing board. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the internal memo outlining the review.
The foundation acknowledged that a small number of employees met with Epstein based on his claims that he could mobilise significant philanthropic resources for global health. It stated that no fund was ever created together and no payments were made to Epstein. “The foundation regrets having any employees interact with Epstein in any way,” the foundation said in a statement.
Investor Warren Buffett, a long-time supporter who donates Berkshire Hathaway shares to the foundation, said he would “wait and see what unfolds” in the Justice Department documents and congressional hearings. Buffett, who resigned as a foundation trustee in 2021, noted that the foundation has a large endowment of $86bn and that Gates has “plenty of his own money”.
The foundation expects to receive an update on the review this summer. The third-party investigators have not been publicly named. The review also comes as the foundation plans to cut up to 500 positions by 2030 and close in 2045.
