The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation says an outside review has found no evidence that the Seattle-based charity ever made payments to Jeffrey Epstein or took part in criminal activity connected to him. The probe, launched earlier this year after newly released documents and media reports resurfaced old questions about the foundation's past dealings with the late financier, marks a key moment of scrutiny for one of the world's most influential philanthropies.
How the review began
In March, Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman ordered an external review to examine the foundation's prior engagement with Epstein and to scrutinize its policies for vetting potential partners. The board told staff it expected an update by summer and framed the review as a way to double-check the record and tighten internal safeguards, according to the Gates Foundation.
What investigators concluded
The outside team, the foundation said, found "no evidence" that the organization made payments to Epstein or was involved in criminal conduct tied to him. That conclusion was reported by Reuters on Tuesday.
What triggered the probe
Pressure on the foundation escalated after the Justice Department released thousands of pages of Epstein-related records and outlets published emails and photos showing interactions between Epstein and people connected to Bill Gates and his foundation. Those disclosures, along with Gates' closed-door appearance before the House Oversight Committee, fueled questions about how the foundation vetted relationships and handled donor concerns, according to Gates' own prepared testimony on GatesNotes.
In his opening statement, Gates said he "never witnessed nor had any indication" that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal behavior, and he described his decision to meet with Epstein as a "grave error in judgment."
Donor reaction
The findings may calm some nerves, but the fallout started before the review wrapped up. Billionaire Warren Buffett left the Gates Foundation out of his most recent annual gift after the Epstein-related disclosures came to light, a move that had been widely watched in philanthropy circles and was reported by AP. The decision highlighted how donor trust has become an immediate stress test for the foundation's leadership.
What comes next
The foundation says it will keep reviewing materials and updating its partner-vetting rules, and that its board and senior leadership will receive the external review's update as planned. The organization has not identified the third-party investigators involved and has said it will share more information when it considers it appropriate, according to the Gates Foundation.
