Bill Gates speaks at the Gates Foundation’s first global goalkeeping event in the Nordics, held in Stockholm, Sweden, January 22, 2026.
TT press agency | Stefan Jerrevang | Via Reuters
Bill Gates became a source of controversy at this week’s high-profile India AI Impact Summit, as speculation around his planned keynote address ultimately ended with his last-minute withdrawal.
The drama comes as the Microsoft co-founder receives public backlash for his past relationship with deceased financier and sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein — with more details about the two men’s years of communication revealed in the Justice Department’s filing last month.
The Gates Foundation India said on Thursday that the billionaire would skip the speech “[a]after careful consideration, and to ensure that the focus remains on the key priorities of the AI Summit,” adding that he would be replaced by another representative from the foundation.
A spokesperson for Gates separately told CNBC that while he acknowledged that meeting with Epstein was a serious error in judgment, he “unequivocally denies any inappropriate conduct related to Epstein and the horrific activities that Epstein was involved in.”
“Mr. Gates never visited Epstein’s island, never attended any parties with him, and was not involved in any illegal activity associated with Epstein,” the spokesperson said.
The official announcement ended a back-and-forth saga that began earlier this week when local indian media pointed out that Gates’ name was removed from some public-facing materials at the summit.
Government sources later informed the media that Gates we are not expected to attend the event. However, the Gates Foundation issued a contradictory message on Wednesday, insisting that it was participating “as planned” before the recent about-face.
Asked about the controversy on Tuesday, Indian IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters that Gates’ presence would depend on “personal choices”, adding that he “did not need to comment”. Summit organizers and the foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Gates’ absence.
The US tech leader turned philanthropist has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks following the release of millions of documents linked to financier Jeffrey Epstein under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
THE files included a written draft of an email in which Epstein suggests he helped facilitate Gates’ extramarital affairs and sexual encounters, among other references from the Microsoft co-founder.
In an interview with Australian newspaper 9News last month, Gates denied any wrongdoing, commenting on new filings, calling Epstein’s allegations “absolutely absurd and completely false.”
He stressed that his interactions with Epstein were limited to dinners intended for possible philanthropic discussions, adding that he “never went to the island” and “never met any women.”
The New Delhi AI Impact Summit, where Gates was scheduled to speak, was attended by big tech names such as Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, as well as a host of world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The Gates Foundation has invested in India in the areas of health and development, and has also supported AI-related projects.
