Buffett redirects $6 billion away from Gates Foundation over Epstein ties
Warren Buffett announced that he would redirect roughly $6 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four charities run by his children, leaving the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation out of his mid-year philanthropic allocations, Forbes reported. The move marked the first exclusion of the Gates Foundation since 2006. BBC noted that the pledged shares would be reallocated to the family-linked foundations by the end of 2034. The Guardian added that Buffett cited recent revelations about Gates’ past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein as the reason for the exclusion.
CNBC later quoted Buffett describing Gates’ association with Epstein as “distasteful” and said Berkshire would cease its donations to the Gates Foundation for the first time in two decades. Fox Business reported that Buffett also said he would accelerate the distribution of his remaining stake. BBC reiterated that the decision ends a twenty-year giving streak, confirming the redirection of the shares.
