According to a report by the American 'Wall Street Journal' dated June 29, sources familiar with the matter said that U.S. investor Warren Buffett will break a tradition that has lasted for nearly 20 years this year. He will temporarily refrain from making an annual donation to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. A decision will be made after the foundation announces its findings regarding the case involving the late U.S. businessman Jeff Epstein.
According to people familiar with the matter, 95-year-old Warren Buffett plans to postpone a decision on whether to donate until later this year, at the latest when he delivers his Thanksgiving letter.
According to tradition, Buffett usually donates billions of dollars worth of shares of his investment firm Berkshire Hathaway to the Gates Foundation in early June or July each year. This arrangement stems from a ‘lifetime donation’ promise he made many years ago when establishing close cooperation with the Gates Foundation.
However, the Gates Foundation has recently become embroiled in public controversy due to the interactions between Chairman Bill Gates and Epstein. Relevant documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice in January this year show that some members of the foundation also communicated with Epstein. Since then, the relationship between Buffett and Gates has become increasingly strained.
The Gates Foundation has hired an external law firm to investigate the relationship between the foundation and Epstein. The results of the investigation are expected to be announced this summer.
Some insiders say that Buffett and people around him have been in communication with the management of the Gates Foundation recently, including the foundation's CEO Mark Suzman, to understand the specifics of the relationship between the foundation and Epstein, as well as the progress of the review process.
Regarding the above news, Buffett refused to comment, and the spokesperson for the Gates Foundation also did not immediately respond to media requests for comments.
