ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS
Updated:

An external review conducted by the Gates Foundation has found no evidence of payments made or participation in criminal activities linked to late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the philanthropic group said on Tuesday.

The foundation's investigation was conducted by the law firm WilmerHale and commissioned by CEO Mark Suzman, with the support of the foundation’s Chair, Bill Gates, and the independent members of the Board, the foundation said in a statement.

Some 50 interviews were conducted in total, with both former and current employees, while extensive written materials were also reviewed during the investigation.

Bill Gates and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, stand in a handout image from the estate of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee in Washington, D.C., U.S., on December 12, 2025.
Bill Gates and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, stand in a handout image from the estate of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee in Washington, D.C., U.S., on December 12, 2025. (credit: House Oversight Committee Democrats/Handout via REUTERS)

Gates Foundation ties with Epstein

According to the investigation, the foundation only had contacted Epstein in two instances between 2011 and 2014. The first time was through a "proposed donor-advised fund (DAF) that would pool contributions from high-net-worth individuals to support global public health."

The foundation finally rejected the proposal, according to the statement.

The second instance involved the International Peace Institute (IPI), a nonprofit Epstein introduced to the Chair. 

"The foundation subsequently provided grant funding to IPI, following internal diligence and review, for polio eradication support," the statement read.

This is a developing story.