For nearly two decades, Warren Buffett entrusted an extraordinary share of his fortune to the Gates Foundation.
Beginning in 2006, Buffett donated more than $47 billion in Berkshire Hathaway stock, becoming the foundation’s largest outside donor and helping create one of the most powerful alliances in modern philanthropy.
That alliance is now effectively over.
Buffett Redirects His Billions
On July 14, Buffett announced that his latest charitable distribution, approximately $6 billion in Berkshire Hathaway stock, would go entirely to four foundations associated with his family.
For the first time since 2006, the Gates Foundation received nothing.
Buffett also confirmed that his remaining Berkshire shares are expected to be distributed through the family foundations by the end of 2034. No future donations to the Gates Foundation are currently planned.
The decision follows Buffett HYPERLINK “https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/30/warren-buffett-delays-gates-foundation-donation-epstein-review.html”‘ HYPERLINK “https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/30/warren-buffett-delays-gates-foundation-donation-epstein-review.html”s earlier postponement of his customary mid-year gift while the foundation awaited an external review into its historical engagement with Jeffrey Epstein.
The Epstein Files Deepen The Scrutiny
Documents released by the US Justice Department renewed attention on Bill Gates’ relationship with Epstein, the convicted sex offender who continued gaining access to powerful figures after his 2008 conviction.
Gates has acknowledged meeting Epstein repeatedly from 2011 onward. He told the House Oversight Committee that the discussions largely concerned Epstein’s claims that he could attract billions of dollars from wealthy donors for global-health programmes.
In June 2026, Gates described meeting Epstein as a HYPERLINK “https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bill-gates-said-epstein-tried-to-use-knowledge-of-his-affairs-to-pressure-me/”” HYPERLINK “https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bill-gates-said-epstein-tried-to-use-knowledge-of-his-affairs-to-pressure-me/”grave error in judgment. HYPERLINK “https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bill-gates-said-epstein-tried-to-use-knowledge-of-his-affairs-to-pressure-me/”” He denied knowing about or participating in Epstein’s criminal conduct and has not been charged with any offence connected to him.
The documented relationship nevertheless extended beyond an isolated dinner. Gates acknowledged years of contact, philanthropic discussions and one private flight with Epstein, from New York to Palm Beach. He said he ended the relationship after concluding Epstein could not deliver the charitable funding he had promised.
The Unsent Drafts And Alleged Leverage
Released files also included unsent draft emails written by Epstein, apparently composed as though they came from Gates adviser Boris Nikolic.
The drafts contained graphic and unverified personal allegations involving Gates’ sexual relationships, an alleged sexually transmitted infection and requests for discreet medication.
The documents do not prove those claims. Gates has denied them, and there is no verified evidence that Nikolic wrote, approved or sent the drafts.
Gates nevertheless told congressional investigators the documents appeared to mix truthful and false material, and that it looked like Epstein was “musing on using a mixture of facts and falsities… almost like a blackmail” to gain leverage over him, though he said no such message was ever actually sent to him.
Separately, Fortune HYPERLINK “https://fortune.com/2026/03/14/epstein-bankrolled-bill-gates-mistress-doj-documents-playing-with-fire/”‘ HYPERLINK “https://fortune.com/2026/03/14/epstein-bankrolled-bill-gates-mistress-doj-documents-playing-with-fire/”s reporting on the DOJ files found that Epstein spent years financially supporting Mila Antonova, a Russian bridge player who has been reported to have had a relationship with Gates, paying for her housing, coding education and living expenses. Epstein later pressed Gates, through his chief of staff and directly, to reimburse him for that spending, including a January 2019 email that read, “I think at some point you want to reimburse me.” It is unclear whether Epstein ever received a response.
Melinda French Gates Had Already Walked Away
The Epstein relationship had damaged Gates’ closest personal partnership years before Buffett withdrew.
In a 2022 CBS Mornings interview, Melinda French Gates said Bill Gates’ continued meetings with Epstein were among several factors contributing to the end of their 27-year marriage. “It’s not one thing, it was many things. But I did not like that he’d had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein,” she said, describing Epstein as “abhorrent” and “evil personified.”
The couple announced their separation in May 2021 and finalized their divorce that August.
Melinda initially remained co-chair of the foundation under a temporary governance arrangement. In 2024, however, she left the institution entirely and received $12.5 billion from Gates for her independent philanthropic work supporting women and families.
Her official departure was not attributed solely to Epstein. But her earlier account established that Gates’ continued contact with him helped fracture both their marriage and the partnership at the foundation’s centre.
The Foundation Investigates Its Own Past
In March 2026, Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman commissioned an external review into the organization’s historical engagement with Epstein and its procedures for vetting potential philanthropic partners.
The foundation says no partnership with Epstein was ultimately established and that it made no payments to him.
It also insists it remains financially strong, citing Gates’ commitment to contribute approximately $200 billion before the organization closes in 2045.
But the reputational consequences are now tangible.
First, Melinda French Gates left the marriage and eventually the foundation. Now Buffett, its largest outside benefactor, is directing his remaining fortune elsewhere.
The money has not disappeared from philanthropy. Trust has changed where it will go.
And when a handful of billionaires control charitable resources larger than the budgets of many governments, their private relationships and personal decisions can reshape programmes affecting millions of people who never had any voice in the arrangement.
Sources Used
• Japan Times: Warren Buffett cuts off donations to Gates Foundation following Epstein revelations
• CNBC: Buffett delays Gates Foundation donation pending Epstein review
• CBS News: Bill Gates said Epstein tried to use knowledge of his affairs to pressure me
• KUOW: Bill Gates suspects Epstein tried to blackmail him
• CBS News: Melinda French Gates on painful divorce
• Forbes: Melinda French Gates leaving Gates Foundation after more than 20 years
• Fox13/Gates Foundation: Foundation reviewing Epstein ties
• Gates Foundation: 25th anniversary $200 billion announcement
