Warren Buffett pauses multi‑billion Gates Foundation donation amid Epstein probe

Investor Warren Buffett has delayed his annual multi‑billion‑dollar stock donation to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation while an external review of the foundation’s contacts with the late Jeffrey Epstein is underway. Buffett, who has contributed Berkshire Hathaway shares worth over $47 billion across two decades, normally makes the donation each June or July. He said he will wait for the investigation’s findings, possibly until after his Thanksgiving letter, before deciding on a new date.

The pause follows U.S. Justice Department documents showing correspondence between Epstein and foundation staff, which has raised scrutiny of the foundation’s ties to the financier. The Gates Foundation commissioned the external assessment, with results expected in the summer. Neither Buffett nor the foundation has commented further on the decision.