Gates Foundation clears itself of wrongdoing in Epstein ties following external review
The philanthropy’s external review details two engagements between 2011 and 2014, including a failed donor-advised fund and a grant to the International Peace Institute, as Warren Buffett announces the end of his donations.
The Gates Foundation has concluded an external review into its historical interactions with convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, finding no evidence of wrongdoing or criminal activity. The findings, released on Tuesday, follow a several-month investigation commissioned by the philanthropy in March and conducted by the law firm WilmerHale.
The report details two specific engagements between 2011 and 2014. The first involved a proposed donor-advised fund (DAF) intended to support global public health initiatives. According to the review, which included interviews with 50 current and former staff members, the foundation abandoned the project after Epstein misrepresented potential donors’ knowledge of and willingness to commit. This misrepresentation became apparent during a breakfast meeting in 2014.
The second engagement centred on the International Peace Institute (IPI). Epstein introduced foundation chairman Bill Gates to the institute in 2012. Following a presentation on polio eradication campaigns in 2013, the Gates Foundation awarded IPI a grant. The report noted that Gates was aware of Epstein’s ties to the institute’s president at the time.
In response to the findings, the foundation has implemented new governance safeguards. These include a centralised vetting process for donors and partners, improved training on handling sensitive information, and an expansion of conflict of interest policies. The organisation did not specify the exact nature of the policy changes.
The release of the report comes a week after Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett announced he would end his donations to the philanthropy. Buffett has donated more than $47 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to the foundation since 2006. Prior to this development, Bill Gates had testified before the US Congress’s House Oversight Committee in June, describing his meetings with Epstein as a “grave error in judgement”.
