Warren Buffett has put his usual mid-year multibillion-dollar transfer to the Gates Foundation on hold while awaiting the results of an external review into the foundation's past engagement with Jeffrey Epstein. The review was ordered by the foundation's CEO, and its findings are expected to be released during the summer.
The pause affects Buffett's routine pattern of granting large blocks of Berkshire Hathaway stock to the foundation. Over the last two decades, Buffett has donated more than $47 billion of the conglomerate's shares to the Gates Foundation. According to reporting that cites people familiar with his plans, he is delaying the decision on this year's contribution until later in the year, possibly timing it with the distribution of his Thanksgiving letter.
The foundation has been under scrutiny following releases of files related to Epstein. In January, the U.S. Department of Justice released emails that showed communication between Epstein and staff at the Gates Foundation. Subsequent public releases of files about Epstein in February have also been linked to reputational damage for Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation, commissioned an external review specifically to examine the foundation's prior interactions with Epstein. The review's purpose is to assess past engagement; its conclusions are awaited and expected sometime this summer.
Buffett, 95, has made sizable stock donations to the foundation over many years. The current delay represents a pause in his customary mid-year practice rather than a stated permanent change in giving strategy. The decision to defer was described as dependent on the completion and public release of the external review's findings.
The situation has produced a degree of public uncertainty. Reports about the delay could not be immediately verified, and the foundation and Berkshire Hathaway did not immediately provide comment in response to requests. Bill Gates, 70, has not been accused of any crimes; he has publicly expressed regret for having had interactions with Epstein and has denied spending time with victims of Epstein's sexual abuse, stating he never witnessed criminal conduct by Epstein.
The timing of the external review and Buffett's decision to await its outcome create a defined period of uncertainty for the foundation's funding cadence. Observers will watch for the review's published conclusions and any subsequent announcements from donors and the foundation itself.