Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates canceled a scheduled keynote address Thursday at India's AI Impact Summit in New Delhi as scrutiny over his past ties to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein intensified.
The Gates Foundation said in a statement that Gates stepped aside "after careful consideration and to ensure the focus remained on the AI Summit's key priorities" and that Ankur Vora, president of its Africa and India offices, represented the organization instead.
The summit draws global technology executives and policymakers for discussions on artificial intelligence policy and its use in health, development, and governance.
Gates' withdrawal came as a late-January Justice Department release of additional Epstein-related materials fueled a new round of online and political backlash.
The Justice Department has been publishing documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law signed in November 2025 that requires the attorney general to release Justice Department records related to Epstein, with exceptions that include protecting survivors' personal information.
The latest document dump included a massive trove of emails and other materials, including a pair of 2013 messages Epstein sent to himself that referenced Gates and contained allegations Gates has denied.
A Gates spokesperson described the emails' claims as "absolutely absurd and completely false" and said the messages reflected Epstein's frustration at not maintaining an ongoing relationship with Gates and efforts to "entrap and defame" him.
Gates has acknowledged meeting with Epstein and has said publicly that the association was a mistake.
In an interview with Australia's 9News published this month, Gates said he was "foolish" to spend time with Epstein and added, "Every minute I spent with him, I regret."
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution-related charges in Florida that involved a minor under 18, later faced federal sex trafficking charges in 2019, and died that year in a New York jail while awaiting trial.
The renewed controversy has also drawn congressional attention, as House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said his panel is seeking more information related to Epstein and has signaled a subpoena is likely if Gates does not cooperate.
The Gates Foundation, one of the world's largest philanthropic organizations, has long funded health and development initiatives in India, including work tied to public health systems and disease prevention.
The foundation said it remains committed to its health and development work in India despite Gates' decision to forgo the summit appearance.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.