Bill Gates Withdraws From India AI Summit Amid Epstein Fallout

Bill Gates was set to headline one of India’s most prominent artificial intelligence gatherings. Instead, his name was quietly removed from the marquee hours before he was scheduled to speak.

The Microsoft co-founder withdrew from delivering a keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi as scrutiny mounted over his past relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The sudden change followed the Department of Justice’s release of more than 3 million emails tied to the Epstein investigation a document trove that has reignited questions about powerful figures who once associated with him.

In a statement issued shortly before the event, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said the decision was made to keep attention on the summit’s core themes.

“After careful consideration, and to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities, Mr. Gates will not be delivering his keynote address,” the foundation said.

Ankur Vora, president of the foundation’s Africa and India offices, spoke in Gates’ place.

The India AI Impact Summit is designed to position India as a global leader in artificial intelligence development, governance, and innovation. With global AI investment surpassing $90 billion annually, according to industry estimates, the stakes for international collaboration are high.

Gates’ withdrawal comes amid renewed attention to his past meetings with Epstein. The recently released emails reportedly included allegations that Gates engaged in extramarital affairs and sought medication to treat a sexually transmitted infection. Some communications allegedly suggested he considered providing medication to his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, without her knowledge.

Gates has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein multiple times between 2011 and 2014, characterizing those interactions as a misguided effort to secure funding for global health initiatives.

“I was foolish to spend time with him,” Gates said in a past interview. “I’m one of many people who regret ever knowing him.”

Epstein, who was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges, died in jail later that year while awaiting trial. His network of wealthy and influential associates has remained under intense public scrutiny ever since.

Melinda French Gates, who finalized her divorce from Gates in 2021 after 27 years of marriage, recently addressed questions surrounding her ex-husband’s ties to Epstein.

“Those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband,” she said. “They need the answer to those things, not me.”

The divorce settlement was estimated to be worth billions, marking one of the most high-profile separations in corporate America’s history.

Despite Gates’ absence, the India AI Impact Summit proceeded, underscoring how artificial intelligence remains a geopolitical priority. Governments worldwide are racing to regulate and harness AI technologies that are projected to contribute trillions of dollars to the global economy over the next decade.

Still, the optics of Gates’ withdrawal are significant. As one of the world’s most recognizable tech leaders and philanthropists, his public appearances often carry symbolic weight. Pulling out at the last minute suggests the Epstein fallout remains a sensitive issue, particularly as fresh documents surface.

With legal and reputational questions lingering around several high-profile figures named in Epstein-related materials, public attention is unlikely to fade anytime soon.

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