Warren Buffett Breaks Silence on Bill Gates Relationship: ‘I Don’t Want to Be Called as a Witness’

The philanthropist has donated billions to the Gates Foundation but says he’s withholding his next gift until he sees “what unfolds.”

BY AMAYA NICHOLE, NEWS WRITER

Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. Illustration: Inc.; Photos: Getty Images; Adobe Stock

In an interview with CNBC, Warren Buffett said that he hasn’t spoken to Microsoft founder Bill Gates since he appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein’s emails in December.

“I haven’t talked to him at all since the whole thing was unveiled,” the 95-year-old said in his first public comments about the Epstein files. “I don’t want to be in a position where I know things. I don’t want to be called as a witness.”

In the last two decades, the former CEO of Berkshire Hathaway has donated around $60 billion to charity—the bulk of which has gone to the Gates Foundation. Buffett’s donations have had a significant impact on the foundation as their website says, “When our good friend Warren Buffett donated much of his fortune to our foundation, it allowed us to raise our ambitions about taking on the toughest, most important problems.” These problems included tackling poverty, disease, and inequity through science and advocacy work.

“If I thought I had to ask probing questions I wouldn’t have put the money in, in the first place,” Buffett said.

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The billionaires became friends in 1991 when Gates’ mother invited Bill to join her and her friends for a gathering at their home. Buffett had been invited to the same gathering by late Washington Post editor Meg Greenfield. The two immediately hit it off with Gates being “impressed by Buffett’s questions.” Gates then told Buffett to buy stocks in Microsoft and thus their friendship began.

Twenty years later, Gates’ relationship with Epstein would start. What distinguishes his relationship with Epstein from many of his peers is that theirs began after his 2008 sex crimes conviction.

Initially, Gates denied his ties to Epstein with a representative telling CNN, “These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false. The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame.

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