Veteran investor Warren Buffett has held off on his usual donation to the Gates Foundation while awaiting the outcome of a review into the foundation's ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. The move marks Buffett's first delay in two decades, according to the Journal, which cited people familiar with his plans.
A decision could come later in the year when he releases his annual Thanksgiving letter. The findings of the review are expected this summer, the report said. Some of the people the Journal spoke to said Buffett and those close to him have been in touch with foundation leadership, including CEO Mark Suzman, to learn more about Epstein's ties to the organization and the ongoing review.
CNBC sought comment from the Gates Foundation but did not hear back by publication time. The 95-year-old Berkshire Hathaway chairman has typically donated company stock to the Gates Foundation, the philanthropic organization founded by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda Gates, every summer.
Since 2006, Buffett has donated more than $43 billion, part of a "lifetime" pledge he made when he forged closer ties with the Gates Foundation. Gates became friends with Epstein in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida state court to soliciting an underage girl for prostitution.
Emails and photos detailing Gates and Epstein's friendships have been revealed in documents released by the Department of Justice and Congress since late 2025. In Gates' testimony to the House Oversight Committee on June 10, he said that meeting with Epstein was a "grave error in judgment," but denied witnessing criminal activity by Epstein or participating in any such behavior.
Gates also added that he only found out that Epstein was a registered sex offender in 2018, after Miami Herald reporter Julie K. Brown's investigation into Epstein's 2008 plea deal.
In March, Buffett told CNBC that he had not spoken to Bill Gates since the Epstein files were released, saying, "I don't want to be in a position where I know things... to be called as a witness." While he spoke fondly of his personal relationship with the Microsoft co-founder, Buffett also said that "I think until it gets cleared up, it doesn't make sense to do a lot of talking," referring to the scandal surrounding Epstein and Gates. — CNBC Dan Mangan contributed to this report