Billionaire investor Warren Buffett is putting the brakes on his customary mid-year multibillion-dollar gift to the Gates Foundation, choosing to wait for the outcome of a review examining the foundation’s past relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a Monday report from the Wall Street Journal.
The Gates Foundation has been under a cloud of controversy tied to Chairman Bill Gates’ personal association with Epstein. Adding to the pressure, the U.S. Justice Department released a batch of emails in January that revealed communications between Epstein and members of the Gates Foundation’s staff.
Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman initiated an outside review to evaluate the foundation’s historical dealings with Epstein. The results of that review are anticipated sometime this summer.
According to the Wall Street Journal, which cited sources familiar with Buffett’s thinking, the 95-year-old Berkshire Hathaway chairman is pushing his donation decision to later in the year — potentially as late as his annual Thanksgiving letter.
Reuters, which first reported on the Wall Street Journal’s story, said it was unable to independently confirm the account. Neither Berkshire Hathaway nor the Gates Foundation responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Over the past two decades, Buffett has contributed more than $47 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to the Gates Foundation, making him one of its most significant benefactors.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, 70, saw his public image take a hit after the Justice Department released documents related to Epstein in February. Gates has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing. He has repeatedly said he regrets any involvement with Epstein, denied spending time with Epstein’s victims, and stated he never personally witnessed any criminal behavior by Epstein.
