Warren Buffett left the Gates Foundation out of his annual charitable donations for the first time, directing roughly $6 billion in Berkshire Hathaway stock instead to four foundations connected to his family. The omission followed renewed disclosures about Bill Gates’ meetings and correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein. Buffett also accelerated his broader estate plans, announcing that his remaining Berkshire shares, valued at nearly $146 billion, will be donated to those four foundations by December 31, 2034. The Gates Foundation has received most of Buffett’s previous charitable giving, totaling more than $61 billion since 2006.

Buffett and Gates were once exceptionally close, but Buffett said they had not spoken for months following the release of additional Epstein-related documents in late 2025. Gates has denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes and has not been accused of wrongdoing, maintaining that he met Epstein because he believed the financier could help raise money for charitable projects. The Gates Foundation has hired an outside reviewer to examine its past engagement with Epstein and its procedures for vetting potential partners. Buffett declined to directly judge Gates’ conduct, but said he wanted to avoid involvement in anything that might later become the subject of an investigation.

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Warren Buffett omits annual donation to Bill Gates’ foundation after his Epstein ties were disclosed - ABC News