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Gates Foundation review finds no evidence of payments or criminal links to Jeffrey Epstein

Gates Foundation review finds no evidence of payments or criminal links to Jeffrey Epstein

WilmerHale found Bill Gates and foundation staff met Jeffrey Epstein roughly 30 times from 2011 to 2014, while Warren Buffett ended Gates Foundation giving after donating about $48 billion over two decades.

Fact Check
All substantive components are corroborated by primary reporting. The Fortune article confirms the external review found Gates and staff met Epstein ~30 times (2011-2014) with no evidence of payments or illegal acts. AP News confirms Buffett ended Gates Foundation giving after Epstein disclosures, with gifts of 'more than $47 billion,' and CNBC/Fortune/others widely characterize this as roughly $48 billion over nearly two decades. The only unconfirmed detail is the specific naming of 'WilmerHale' as the reviewer — sources describe it as an external/outside review commissioned by CEO Mark Suzman — but this does not contradict the claim's factual substance.
Summary

An external review commissioned by the Gates Foundation found Bill Gates and foundation staff met Jeffrey Epstein roughly 30 times from 2011 to 2014, despite internal concerns about reputational risk and Gates’ awareness of Epstein’s prior sex offense. WilmerHale said the foundation’s dealings with Epstein centered on a proposed charitable investment fund, described in the newer account as a donor-advised fund for global public health that never materialized, and on a grant to the International Peace Institute for polio eradication support. The review found no evidence the foundation paid Epstein or that its staff participated in, or knew of, his sex trafficking operations or other criminal activities. The foundation released a three-page summary on Tuesday and said its board approved stronger vetting and risk-management measures. Separately, Warren Buffett omitted the Gates Foundation from his annual charitable stock gifts for the first time since 2006, redirecting roughly $6 billion elsewhere after having donated about $48 billion to the foundation; Buffett cited his children’s readiness to distribute his wealth, while reports and his own comments also linked the move to discomfort over Gates’ association with Epstein.

Terms & Concepts
  • donor-advised fund: A charitable giving account managed by a sponsoring organization, described here as a proposed vehicle to pool donations from wealthy individuals for global public health.
  • polio eradication: A public health effort aimed at eliminating polio transmission through vaccination and disease-control programs.
  • endowment: An invested pool of assets used to support an organization over time; the Gates Foundation has said it will spend down its endowment and close on Dec. 31, 2045.