Bill Gates Testifies to Congress on Epstein Ties; Buffett Ends Foundation Donations
Gates' sworn congressional testimony — the first of its kind from a major technology philanthropist regarding Epstein-related allegations — creates a documented public record that links private...
Warren Buffett, 95, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, confirmed in a July 2026 CNBC interview that he has been following Bill Gates' sworn testimony before Congress this year and that he recently ended his personal donations to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, citing the testimony as a factor in his decision. Buffett described Gates' association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as 'distasteful' but declined to render a broader moral judgment, stating, according to the CNBC transcript, that 'everybody makes mistakes' and 'life goes on.' Buffett had previously pledged tens of billions of dollars to the Gates Foundation through annual share transfers of Berkshire Hathaway stock, documented in annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letters and SEC Form 4 filings going back to 2006.
Gates' congressional testimony, delivered under oath to an unspecified committee earlier in 2026 — the specific committee and hearing date have not been confirmed in source materials available as of July 15, 2026 — reportedly revealed that Epstein had learned of alleged extramarital affairs Gates had with two Russian women and had used that knowledge in what the testimony characterized as a potential attempt at leverage. The substance of the testimony is drawn from reporting by the New York Post (nypost.com, published prior to July 15, 2026), which cited the sworn record. The full transcript of Gates' congressional testimony would be available through the relevant committee's official record on congress.gov.
Buffett's withdrawal of future charitable contributions represents a significant shift in the Gates Foundation's funding outlook. According to the Gates Foundation's publicly filed IRS Form 990 records, Buffett's cumulative donations to the foundation have exceeded $39 billion in Berkshire Hathaway shares since 2006. His most recent annual pledge installment, disclosed in a Berkshire Hathaway press release in June 2025, transferred approximately $5.3 billion in Class B shares. Whether Buffett will honor previously committed but not-yet-transferred pledge installments is not stated in available source material; the answer would be disclosed in future SEC Form 4 filings under Buffett's name or in a Berkshire Hathaway public statement.
The Gates Foundation, which reported $67.2 billion in total assets on its most recently available IRS Form 990 (tax year 2023), has not issued a public statement regarding Buffett's decision or the congressional testimony as of July 15, 2026. Gates himself has not issued a public statement responding to Buffett's CNBC remarks, according to available source material. What remains unknown is the full scope of the congressional testimony, which committee received it, whether it has been entered into the public congressional record, and what specific pledge commitments from Buffett remain outstanding. Those facts would be resolved by the committee hearing transcript on congress.gov and by future Berkshire Hathaway SEC filings.