June 29 (Reuters) – Warren Buffett is skipping his usual mid-year multibillion-dollar donation to the Gates Foundation as he waits to see the findings of a review by the foundation of its ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
The foundation has been mired in controversy due to Chairman Bill Gates’ association with Epstein. A release of emails in January by the U.S. Justice Department also showed communication between Epstein and the Gates Foundation’s staff.
Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman commissioned an external review to assess past foundation engagement with Epstein. The findings are expected in the summer.
Buffett is delaying his donation decision until later in the year, possibly until when he puts out his Thanksgiving letter, the WSJ report said, citing people familiar with Buffett’s plans.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Berkshire Hathaway and the Gates Foundation did not immediately respond to a Reuters’ request for comment.
Buffett, the 95-year-old chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, has in the last two decades donated more than $47 billion of the conglomerate’s stock to the Gates Foundation.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates saw his reputation tarnished following the Department of Justice’s release of files about Epstein in February.
Gates, 70, has not been accused of any crimes. He has repeatedly expressed regret for having anything to do with Epstein and has denied spending time with victims of Epstein’s sexual abuse, saying he never witnessed criminal conduct by Epstein.
(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Mexico City, Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Edwina Gibbs)
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