Warren Buffett pauses Gates donation pending Epstein review

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has paused his annual midyear donation to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the first time in twenty years, citing a desire to see the results of an external review into the foundation's historical connections to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The decision, reported on June 30, 2026, signals a significant shift in Buffett's long-standing philanthropic partnership with the foundation and comes amid a reported strain in his relationship with its co-founder, Bill Gates.

Buffett, the 95-year-old chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, traditionally transfers billions of dollars worth of his company's shares to the foundation each June or early July, a practice stemming from a lifetime giving pledge. He told the Wall Street Journal he is holding off on that donation this year and expects to decide later in 2026, potentially aligning his announcement with his customary Thanksgiving letter to shareholders.

The Gates Foundation has engaged the law firm WilmerHale to conduct a comprehensive review of its ties to Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Findings from that review are expected this summer. According to...