Legendary investor Warren Buffett has spoken publicly about his longtime friendship with Bill Gates and his decision to stop making annual donations to the Gates Foundation, saying recent revelations surrounding Gates’ association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein influenced his decision.
In a rare interview with CNBC’s Becky Quick, the Berkshire Hathaway Chairman said he had carefully reviewed information related to Gates’ interactions with Epstein, including the Microsoft co-founder’s testimony before the U.S. House Oversight Committee. Buffett described the situation as “distasteful” but added that people can make mistakes in judging others.
Buffett said he found nothing in Gates’ testimony that went beyond what he could personally imagine someone doing under similar circumstances. He also remarked that choosing whom to trust is never perfect, stating, “No one bats a thousand in the business of choosing people.”
According to Gates’ testimony, he was introduced to Epstein by trusted associates and met him several times between 2011 and 2014 in connection with philanthropic fundraising efforts. Gates maintained that he never witnessed any criminal activity, never visited Epstein’s private island and never sought a personal relationship with him. He described his association with Epstein as a “grave error in judgment”, saying his intention was to explore fundraising opportunities for global health initiatives.
Buffett’s comments come shortly after he announced that he would end his long-standing annual donations to the Gates Foundation, bringing to a close one of the world’s largest philanthropic partnerships. For nearly two decades, Buffett donated billions of dollars to the foundation to support global initiatives in healthcare, education and poverty alleviation.
While acknowledging the controversy surrounding Gates’ past interactions with Epstein, Buffett did not accuse him of any wrongdoing. Instead, he suggested that the episode reflected poor judgment rather than criminal intent, while reaffirming his decision to redirect future charitable contributions elsewhere.
The remarks have once again drawn attention to one of the world’s most influential philanthropic organisations and its future funding strategy, even as the Gates Foundation continues its work across global health, education and development programmes.
Disclaimer: This report has been editorially prepared using publicly available information. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, unintentional errors or omissions may occur. Readers are encouraged to verify important information through official sources.
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