OMAHA — Warren Buffett has delayed his annual multibillion-dollar charitable donation to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as the foundation undergoes an external review of its past interactions connected to the late Jeffrey Epstein, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with Buffett’s plans.
The decision marks a departure from Buffett’s long-running practice of making a midyear donation of Berkshire Hathaway shares to charitable causes. Buffett has donated more than $47 billion to the Gates Foundation since 2006, making it one of the largest beneficiaries of his philanthropic pledge.
According to the report, Buffett is waiting for the results of the Gates Foundation’s review before deciding on the donation and could make a decision later in the year, potentially around the release of his annual Thanksgiving letter. The donation delay does not affect contributions to foundations run by Buffett’s family, according to reports.
The Gates Foundation launched an external review after scrutiny over the organization’s past connections to Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes and died in 2019. Foundation Chief Executive Mark Suzman commissioned the review to examine past engagement with Epstein and current policies for evaluating philanthropic partnerships. The foundation has said it did not pursue a collaboration with Epstein and that no funds were provided to him.
The controversy has centered on past interactions between Epstein and members of the Gates Foundation community, as well as renewed attention on Bill Gates’s previous meetings with Epstein. Gates has said he regrets those interactions and has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing.
Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, has maintained a close philanthropic relationship with Gates for years and joined the foundation’s Giving Pledge initiative, encouraging wealthy individuals to commit most of their fortunes to charitable causes. Buffett stepped down as a trustee of the Gates Foundation in 2021.
Neither Berkshire Hathaway nor the Gates Foundation immediately provided additional comment on the reported delay, according to Reuters. The foundation’s review is expected to conclude later this summer, after which Buffett is expected to determine the timing and destination of his next major charitable gift.
