Bill Gates speaks at the Gates Foundation’s first Nordic global goalkeeping event on January 22, 2026 in Stockholm, Sweden.
TT News Agency | Stefan Gelevang | Via Reuters
Bill Gates was the subject of controversy at this week’s high-profile India AI Impact Summit, but speculation about his scheduled keynote address ultimately ended with his withdrawal at the last minute.
The drama comes as the Microsoft co-founder faces public backlash over his past relationship with deceased financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with details of their years-long communications revealed in a Justice Department filing last month.
India’s Gates Foundation said on Thursday that the billionaire would skip the speech “after careful consideration and to remain focused on the AI Summit’s key priorities,” adding that another head of the foundation would take his place.
The official announcement ended a back-and-forth that began earlier this week when local Indian media pointed out that Gates’ name had been removed from some of the summit’s public documents.
Government officials later explained to the media that Gates had no plans to attend the event. But the Gates Foundation issued conflicting messages on Wednesday, insisting that he had been participating “as planned” before the recent reversal.
Asked about Tuesday’s controversy, Indian IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters that Gates’ attendance would ultimately be a “personal choice,” adding: “There is no need to comment.” Summit organizers and the foundation did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Gates’ absence.
The American technology leader turned philanthropist has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks following the release of millions of documents related to investor Jeffrey Epstein under the Epstein File Transparency Act.
The files included drafts of emails to himself suggesting that Mr. Epstein helped facilitate Mr. Gates’ extramarital affairs and sexual encounters, as well as references to the Microsoft co-founder.
Gates denied any wrongdoing in an interview with Australia’s 9News last month, commenting on the new files and calling Epstein’s claims “totally absurd and completely false.”
He stressed that his interactions with Epstein were limited to dinners to discuss potential philanthropy, adding that he had “never been to the island” and “never met the woman.”
The New Delhi AI Impact Summit, where Gates was scheduled to speak, was attended by many world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as well as major technology companies including Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei.
The Gates Foundation invests in overall health and development in India, and also supports AI-related projects.
