The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has commissioned an independent review of its historical connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, weeks before Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is due to testify before the United States Congress on the same matter.
The review was triggered in part by the release of Department of Justice (DOJ) documents in January, which contained emails showing correspondence between Epstein and foundation staff, photographs of Gates alongside Epstein, and images of Gates with other individuals whose identities were obscured.
In a statement, the foundation said the external review was commissioned in March with the support of Gates and the foundation’s independent governing board. The review will examine both the foundation’s past engagement with Epstein and its policies for vetting new philanthropic partnerships, with an update expected for the board this summer.
Foundation Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Suzman outlined the review in a memo to staff earlier this week, which also addressed a restructuring plan that had been previously announced. The Gates Foundation will eliminate up to 500 jobs, representing roughly 20 percent of its workforce, by 2030, and plans to cap operating expenses at 1.25 billion dollars against a 2026 budget of approximately 9 billion dollars.
A recent board meeting in London included a session dedicated to the impact of the DOJ’s Epstein files on the foundation’s work and reputation, according to Suzman’s memo.
Gates has maintained that his interactions with Epstein were confined to discussions about philanthropy and has described the association as a mistake. Melinda French Gates, who departed the foundation’s board following her 2021 divorce from Bill Gates, has said his continued contact with Epstein was a factor in their separation.
Gates is scheduled to testify before Congress in June about his relationship with the late financier. The foundation has not disclosed who will lead the external review or the precise scope of its mandate.
