The move came despite the Gates Foundation confirming as recently as Tuesday that Gates would be attending the event. When asked for comment, the organization told Fortune Gates didn’t give the keynote address “to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities.” Instead, the Gates Foundation was represented by Ankur Vora, president of its Africa and India offices. “The Gates Foundation remains fully committed to our work in India to advance our shared health and development goals,” the organization said.
Gates’s abrupt decision follows renewed scrutiny of his connection to Jeffrey Epstein. The U.S. Department of Justice released emails last month featuring Bill Gates’s name in the Epstein files, sparking new questions about Gates’s involvement with the late financier and convicted sex offender. The emails suggested that Gates and Epstein had several meetings after Epstein’s release from prison in 2009, with conversations focused on Gates’s philanthropic goals. The files have inspired some of those associated with Gates to clarify the extent of his relationship with the late financier and convicted sex offender.
The billionaire remains a major philanthropist, with an $86 billion footprint spanning more than 130 countries. This year, the organization established a record-breaking $9 billion annual payout. While the foundation will continue to focus on global health, it has also committed to increasing the budgets of several programs, including women’s health and AI education in the U.S.
