The Gates Foundation is reviewing its Epstein ties as released emails raise questions for funders

The Gates Foundation announced Wednesday it has commissioned an external review of its past connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as its co-founder Bill Gates faces increased scrutiny over his appearances in recently released Justice Department documents.

The foundation confirmed that CEO Mark Suzman, with Gates’ support, initiated the review in March to evaluate any historical engagement with Epstein and to examine current protocols for vetting potential partnerships. This represents the organization’s most direct attempt to address associations that have overshadowed its global health initiatives.

“The foundation regrets having any employees interact with Epstein in any way,” the organization stated in a February release, acknowledging that “a small number” of staff had met with Epstein based on his claims that he could mobilize significant philanthropic resources. The foundation emphasized that no formal partnership or financial arrangement ever materialized from these interactions.

The Justice Department files contain email correspondence between Gates and Epstein discussing philanthropic endeavors, calendar entries documenting their meetings, and photographs showing Gates at events also attended by Epstein. While Gates has not been accused of wrongdoing regarding these connections, the revelations have intensified questions about their relationship.

Gates has consistently maintained that his interactions with Epstein were limited to discussions about philanthropy and that he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. Earlier this year, he reportedly spoke “candidly” about his relationship with Epstein during a foundation town hall meeting, though the contents of those remarks have not been publicly detailed.

The external probe comes during a period of significant transition for the influential philanthropy. In January, the Gates Foundation announced plans to cap operating costs and gradually reduce staff by up to 500 positions—approximately 20% of its workforce—by 2030. This follows last year’s unexpected announcement that the foundation would cease operations in 2045, earlier than previously indicated.

The revelations in the Justice Department files have attracted the attention of Warren Buffett, one of the Gates Foundation’s earliest and most prominent supporters. Buffett, who resigned as a foundation trustee in 2021, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” last month that “there was a lot I didn’t know” about Gates’ connections to Epstein.

Buffett, who typically donates a portion of his Berkshire Hathaway shares to the foundation annually around the end of June, indicated he would “wait and see what unfolds” in the Justice Department’s documents and congressional hearings before making decisions about future contributions. He noted that the foundation already possesses a substantial $86 billion endowment and that Gates has “plenty of his own money.”

“In any event, I’ll just wait and see. And there’s three and a half million, or whatever it is pages – I mean, it is astounding,” Buffett said, referring to the volume of Epstein-related files.

The Gates Foundation responded to Buffett’s comments on Wednesday, describing him as “an extraordinarily generous partner” for nearly two decades. “We are deeply grateful for his support, which has enabled us to accelerate progress on some of the world’s toughest challenges that would not otherwise have been possible,” a spokesperson told the Associated Press.

The foundation’s board and management expect to receive an update on the Epstein review this summer. The third-party investigators conducting the review have not been publicly identified.

The Gates Foundation, established by Bill Gates and his ex-wife Melinda French Gates, has been a transformative force in global health, focusing on ending preventable maternal and child deaths and controlling infectious diseases worldwide. Despite its philanthropic achievements, the current scrutiny underscores the challenges faced by organizations when their founders become embroiled in controversies.

How the foundation navigates this investigation and its findings could have significant implications not only for its reputation but also for its ability to continue securing partnerships and funding for its global health initiatives in the future.