The retired CEO of Berkshire Hathaway , Warren Buffett says he does not regret the billions he donated to the Gates Foundation despite revelations about the relationship between Bill Gates and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but confirmed he is no longer in contact with Gates.
“I wish that certain things hadn’t happened,” Buffett, who has donated tens of billions of dollars in stock to the foundation, said in an interview. However, he defended the organization’s work, noting that “it isn’t like they’re stealing money for themselves.”
Buffett’s donations totaled about $36 billion as of 2022, according to the foundation, and he has continued to make annual contributions since then. He has not yet decided on his next donation scheduled for June.
The release of Epstein-related documents by the United States Department of Justice, totaling more than 3 million pages, includes emails between Gates and Epstein discussing meetings and philanthropic initiatives. The documents also contain comments written by Epstein alleging misconduct by Gates.
Gates has reportedly apologized to foundation staff for his association with Epstein, describing the relationship as “a huge mistake,” while strongly denying any claims of personal wrongdoing and calling them false.
All documented interactions between Gates and Epstein occurred after Epstein’s 2008 conviction on prostitution-related charges.
Buffett said he never met Epstein or had any contact with him. He also confirmed that he has not discussed the matter with Gates, despite their long-standing friendship.
“We’ve had great times together,” he said. “But until it gets cleared up, I don’t think it makes sense to do a lot of talking.”
He added that he would prefer to avoid being drawn into any legal proceedings related to the matter. “I don’t want to be under oath,” he said.