OMAHA (Realist English). Warren Buffett, the 95-year-old chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, has for the first time in two decades excluded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation from his annual charitable donations of company stock. Instead, nearly $6 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock will be directed to four family foundations managed by his children.
The decision came amid revelations about Bill Gates’ ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Buffett did not mention Gates or Epstein in his statement, but according to The Wall Street Journal, he had suspended the usual donation to the Gates Foundation pending the results of an external investigation into the organization’s ties to Epstein.
Two Decades of Philanthropy: $47 Billion to the Gates Foundation
Since 2006, when Buffett made an “irrevocable commitment” to donate Berkshire Hathaway stock to the Gates Foundation annually, he has given the organization more than $47 billion (approximately £35 billion). In 2025 alone, the donation amounted to $4.6 billion.
In total, since the program began in 2006, he has donated more than $61 billion to various charitable organizations, with the vast majority going to the Gates Foundation.
Buffett was one of the founders of The Giving Pledge alongside Bill Gates and his then-wife Melinda French Gates — an initiative encouraging billionaires to give away the majority of their wealth. He also served on the Gates Foundation’s board until 2021.
What Changed in 2026
This year, Buffett is donating 12 million Class B shares of Berkshire Hathaway with a total value of nearly $6 billion. The distribution is as follows:
- 9 million shares (approximately $4.5 billion) — to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, which is led by his daughter Susie and focuses on reproductive health;
- 1 million shares each ($500 million each) — to the Howard G. Buffett Foundation (combating hunger and human trafficking), the Sherwood Foundation (supporting Nebraska nonprofits and education), and the NoVo Foundation (supporting women and indigenous peoples).
As Buffett himself stated: “My goal is to distribute all of my Berkshire shares within approximately eight years. My children, unfortunately, are aging. I very much hope that they will be able to complete the transfer of my shares by December 31, 2034.”
The Epstein Scandal: What Happened
In February 2026, the US Department of Justice released documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that shed light on his relationship with Bill Gates. Among other things, photos of Gates with Epstein were made public, as well as emails indicating contacts between Epstein and Gates Foundation staff.
In June 2026, Gates testified before a US House Committee, stating that he “did not fully understand the extent of Epstein’s crimes” when he associated with him. He called his meetings with Epstein a “huge mistake.”
In March 2026, Buffett admitted in a CNBC interview that he had stopped communicating with Gates: “I haven’t spoken to him since this all came to light.” When asked whether they remained close friends, he replied that they had “wonderful times,” but “until this is clarified… I just don’t think it makes sense to communicate much.”
Gates Foundation Response
The Gates Foundation thanked Buffett for “decades of support for our work” and stated that it continues to operate from a “position of financial strength,” backed by Bill Gates’ personal commitment of $200 billion. Neither the foundation nor Berkshire Hathaway responded to Reuters’ requests for additional comment.
Buffett’s decision marks the end of one of the largest philanthropic collaborations in modern history. Over 20 years, the Gates Foundation received more from him than any other organization in the world.
Buffett, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes at $147 billion, owns about 30% of Berkshire Hathaway shares (market capitalization of $1.1 trillion). According to his plan, all remaining shares will be transferred to charitable organizations within eight years.
As Fortune notes, Buffett is “quietly bringing to a close one of the largest philanthropic partnerships in history” after nearly two decades and $48 billion in donations.
