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Bill Gates Pulls Out of India AI Summit Amid Epstein Criticism [View all]
Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates backed out of a keynote address at a high-profile Indian AI summit just hours before he was due to speak.
The Gates Foundation, the billionaire’s philanthropic organization, explained the decision as an effort to ensure the focus remains on the conference, without elaborating. The withdrawal follows criticism of his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and speculation about whether that link threatened to overshadow the organization’s broader mission.
The move came “after careful consideration, and to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities,” the foundation said in an X post.
........
Gates Foundation Chief Executive Officer Mark Suzman told employees this month that the association with Epstein had “sullied” the organization’s reputation, the Financial Times reported. Representatives for the agency declined to comment on Gates’s pullout beyond their public statement.
The Gates Foundation, the billionaire’s philanthropic organization, explained the decision as an effort to ensure the focus remains on the conference, without elaborating. The withdrawal follows criticism of his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and speculation about whether that link threatened to overshadow the organization’s broader mission.
The move came “after careful consideration, and to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities,” the foundation said in an X post.
........
Gates Foundation Chief Executive Officer Mark Suzman told employees this month that the association with Epstein had “sullied” the organization’s reputation, the Financial Times reported. Representatives for the agency declined to comment on Gates’s pullout beyond their public statement.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-19/bill-gates-pulls-out-of-address-at-high-profile-india-ai-summit
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