Warren Buffett has delayed his usual midyear donation to the Gates Foundation, breaking a two-decade pattern of annual contributions as he waits for the results of an internal review examining the foundation’s past ties to Jeffrey Epstein, according to people familiar with his plans.
The 95-year-old Berkshire Hathaway chairman is expected to make a decision later this year, potentially when he releases his traditional Thanksgiving letter, the people said. Buffett has typically donated billions of dollars worth of Berkshire Hathaway shares every June or early July as part of a long-term philanthropic commitment he made after establishing a close relationship with the Gates Foundation.
The delay comes as the Gates Foundation reviews its connections to Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender. The foundation has hired the law firm WilmerHale to conduct the review, with findings expected this summer. According to people familiar with the matter, Buffett and individuals close to him have communicated with foundation leadership, including Chief Executive Mark Suzman, to better understand the nature of the ties and the ongoing examination.
Buffett declined to comment, and representatives for the Gates Foundation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The decision marks a significant pause in Buffett’s decades-long support of the foundation. From 2006 through 2025, Buffett contributed approximately $48 billion to the organization, primarily through annual transfers of Berkshire Hathaway shares. His donations have represented one of the largest philanthropic commitments ever made by an individual.
Buffett stepped down as a trustee of the Gates Foundation in 2021 after Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates announced their divorce. In 2024, Buffett told The Wall Street Journal that the foundation would not receive additional money from him after his death. That same year, Melinda French Gates left the organization she helped create to focus on her own philanthropic priorities.
According to people familiar with the matter, whatever decision Buffett makes regarding the Gates Foundation is not expected to affect his regular contributions to his family’s charitable organizations, including foundations operated by his three children and the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named after his first wife.
The review has also affected the relationship between Buffett and Bill Gates, who have been longtime friends and philanthropic partners. According to the source text, Buffett said in a March interview with CNBC that he had not spoken with Gates since the release of Justice Department files related to Epstein. Buffett said he wanted to learn more from the documents before making his annual donation decision.
Gates, who is 70, told lawmakers during a mid-June deposition before the House Oversight Committee that his last conversation with Buffett occurred in January, before the release of the Epstein files. According to a transcript of the interview, Gates said the two discussed his health challenges and other matters.
The relationship between the two men had already faced changes before the current review. In early May, Gates did not attend the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the company Buffett led for decades and where Gates served as a board member until 2020. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that while Gates was not prohibited from attending, some people advised him against going. It was the first time in many years that he did not appear at the gathering.
According to people familiar with the matter, Gates’s team was also informed that he would not be able to sit in the section of the venue reserved for Buffett, Berkshire directors, and other business leaders, including Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook.
The Gates Foundation remains one of the world’s largest philanthropic organizations. Since its creation, it has distributed approximately $110 billion toward charitable programs, including efforts that have supported the development of vaccines for meningitis and malaria, treatments for drug-resistant tuberculosis, and tools focused on improving women’s health.
The foundation has also announced major plans for the future. About a year ago, Gates said the organization intended to distribute more than $200 billion over the next 20 years, including the remaining value of its endowment, before closing at the end of 2045.
As part of preparations for those changes, the foundation informed employees in 2026 that it planned to reduce its workforce by as many as 500 positions over several years and place limits on operating expenses.
For now, Buffett’s decision on his annual contribution remains pending. The outcome is expected after the Gates Foundation receives the findings of its review into its historical connections with Epstein, a process that has placed renewed attention on the future of one of the largest philanthropic partnerships in the world.
