Gates Withdraws Amid Epstein File Row

Technology entrepreneur Bill Gates has withdrawn from delivering a scheduled keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi following renewed controversy surrounding his name in documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.

The announcement was made on Thursday morning by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which stated that the decision was taken to ensure the summit’s core agenda—artificial intelligence governance and innovation—was not overshadowed by unrelated public debate.

In a statement shared on the social media platform X, the foundation said that, after careful consideration, Gates would not address the summit in order to maintain focus on substantive discussions around artificial intelligence policy. Representing the foundation in his stead will be Ankur Vohra, President for Africa and India operations.

Temporary Removal from Programme

Earlier in the week, Gates’s name had briefly disappeared from the official list of keynote participants. Media reports, citing government sources, suggested that Indian authorities wished to signal solidarity with victims connected to the Epstein case. However, his name was subsequently reinstated. Officials familiar with the matter indicated that the government’s overriding priority was to ensure the summit remained centred on technological strategy rather than reputational disputes.

About the Summit

The India AI Impact Summit, which commenced on Monday in New Delhi, is the fourth annual international gathering focused on artificial intelligence cooperation and regulation. Previous editions were hosted by the United Kingdom in 2023, South Korea in 2024, and France in 2025.

This year’s event has drawn substantial global participation.

The summit’s agenda includes cross-border AI regulation, ethical safeguards, public–private innovation partnerships, and risk mitigation frameworks.

The Epstein Documents Controversy

The renewed scrutiny follows the publication last month of documents by the United States Department of Justice referencing Gates’s name. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in a United States federal prison in 2019 in what authorities ruled a suicide.

The documents reportedly refer to a draft email in which Epstein made allegations concerning Gates’s personal life. Gates has categorically denied the claims, stating that the email in question was never sent and that its assertions are false.

In a recent interview, Gates acknowledged maintaining contact with Epstein beginning in 2011 and expressed regret over those meetings, describing them as a misjudgement. He has maintained that he never visited Epstein’s private island and was not involved in any illicit conduct.

A spokesperson for the foundation emphasised that the released material does not establish any sustained or improper relationship, suggesting instead that it reflects Epstein’s dissatisfaction following the termination of contact.

Observers view Gates’s withdrawal as a strategic measure intended to shield the summit’s policy deliberations from reputational distraction, ensuring that discussions on artificial intelligence governance proceed without encumbrance.