American investor and entrepreneur Warren Buffett has postponed a multi-billion dollar donation to the Gates Foundation while awaiting the results of an investigation into the foundation’s connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Buffett traditionally makes a substantial annual donation to the Gates Foundation, valued at several billion dollars. This year, however, he decided to hold off due to the ongoing scandal surrounding Bill Gates and his associations with Epstein. The charitable organization, founded by the Microsoft creator in 2000, has come under scrutiny following emails released earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Justice, which indicate correspondence between Epstein and Gates Foundation employees.
Over $47 Billion in Stock Donations to the Gates Foundation
Mark Suzman, the foundation’s CEO, has commissioned an external review to assess the past interactions between the foundation and Epstein, with results expected by summer.
According to the WSJ, Buffett has postponed his decision regarding the donation until the release of his annual Thanksgiving letter. Historically, he has donated shares of his conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway—worth several billion dollars—typically in June or early July. Over the last two decades, he has contributed shares totaling more than $47 billion to the organization.
Bill Gates, the 70-year-old co-founder of Microsoft, has seen his reputation suffer following the release of documents related to Epstein by the U.S. Department of Justice, although he has not been accused of any crimes. He has repeatedly expressed regret over his connections to the late financier and denied spending time with individuals who were sexually exploited by Epstein, asserting he was never a witness to Epstein’s criminal activities.
