Warren Buffett has excluded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation from his annual charitable stock donations this year, CNBC reported. This change follows a Wall Street Journal report revealing Buffett paused his usual donation to the foundation amid a review of its connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Since 2006, Buffett has donated over $43 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to the Gates Foundation.
The Berkshire Hathaway chairman will instead allocate his 2026 charitable donations to four family-linked foundations. Specifically, Buffett plans to donate 9 million Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, which is named after his late wife. This marks a significant shift in his philanthropic giving strategy, as the Gates Foundation has been a primary beneficiary for nearly two decades.
Buffett’s decision comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Gates Foundation’s ties to Epstein, which has prompted a review of its operations and associations. The Gates Foundation is one of the largest private philanthropic organizations globally, and Buffett’s donations have been a major source of its funding. This move could influence perceptions of the foundation’s governance and impact other donors’ decisions.
The 9 million Class B shares donation to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation represents a substantial contribution, reflecting Buffett’s continued commitment to philanthropy despite the change in recipients. Berkshire Hathaway’s 2026 proxy statement confirms these details, underscoring the shift in Buffett’s charitable giving for the year.