The Gates Foundation has authorized an outside review of its ties to Jeffrey Epstein, escalating the scrutiny on Bill Gates, the foundation’s co-founder, and his relationship with the convicted sex offender.
The release of the Epstein files has unsettled the Seattle-based foundation, one of the largest philanthropies in the world. Mr. Gates and some former advisers are frequently mentioned in the files, and Mr. Gates apologized to foundation staff members in an all-hands meeting this year for his associations to the financier.
The foundation said on Tuesday that it sent an email in March to employees informing them of the review, which was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal.
“Early this year, Gates Foundation C.E.O. Mark Suzman commissioned an external review to assess past foundation engagement with Epstein, and our current policies for vetting and developing new philanthropic partnerships,” the foundation said in a statement. “That review is underway, and we expect the board and management will receive an update this summer.”
The foundation did not give details about who is conducting the review, which would typically be handled by a corporate law firm; when the review began; or whether the results would be made public.
Mr. Gates’s ties to Mr. Epstein, including after the sex offender’s criminal conviction, have been well documented since 2021. But the Justice Department’s release of millions of pages of emails have brought new controversy to the foundation and threatened to overshadow its work on global health.
In February, amid the uproar, Mr. Gates suddenly canceled a high-profile speech in India. There is little sign of the attention’s fading: Mr. Gates is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee in June as part of its investigation into Mr. Epstein.
The foundation in February put out a statement that said it “regrets having any employees interact with Epstein in any way.” Mr. Gates’s role, as chair of the foundation’s board, has not changed.
The foundation told The New York Times on Tuesday that the review had been authorized by the board, including Mr. Gates.
Michael Gold contributed reporting.
Theodore Schleifer is a Times reporter covering billionaires and their impact on the world.
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