It's official: Bill Gates to skip AI Impact Summit amid fallout over Epstein files

Bill Gates will no longer deliver the keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit, his philanthropic body, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, confirmed on Thursday.

In a statement posted on X, the foundation said the decision had been made “after careful consideration” to ensure that attention remained on the event’s core agenda. It added that Gates would not be speaking at the summit as previously anticipated.

The foundation announced that Ankur Vora, president of its Africa and India offices, would represent the organisation at the gathering in New Delhi and address participants later in the day.

The clarification follows speculation over Gates’ participation after his name did not appear on the official roster of principal speakers for the six-day event. The statement also comes amid renewed public attention in the United States concerning references to his name in documents linked to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Epstein controversy surrounding Bill Gates stems from a tranche of documents released by the US Department of Justice that include draft emails written by the late Epstein in July 2013, in which he made a series of lurid and unverified allegations about Bill Gates. In the unsent drafts, Epstein claimed that Gates had sought drugs to “deal with consequences” of alleged sexual encounters and asked for Adderall for bridge games.

Other claims suggested that Gates had requested Epstein to delete emails referring to a sexually transmitted infection and to help procure antibiotics to give secretly to his then wife. There is no evidence that these emails were ever sent or that the allegations are true.

The documents also record scheduled meetings between the two men, including several dinners between 2011 and 2013 and a meeting in Norway in 2012, as well as Epstein’s attempts to facilitate further introductions. A spokesperson for Gates has dismissed the allegations as “absurd and false”, arguing that they reflect Epstein’s resentment after their association ended.

Bill Gates has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein and described it as a “serious error in judgement”, while denying any unlawful conduct.

Melinda French Gates has previously spoken critically of her former husband’s association with Epstein, describing it as a factor that contributed to their 2021 divorce. She has said she met Epstein once and found him “abhorrent” and “evil personified”.

Responding to the latest disclosures, she expressed “unbelievable sadness” and said the revelations had resurfaced painful memories, adding that those directly involved would need to answer questions arising from the documents while voicing sympathy for Epstein’s victims.

The India AI Impact Summit 2026, now in its fourth edition, seeks to shape collaborative approaches to harnessing artificial intelligence responsibly. The forum brings together policymakers, technology leaders and global experts to explore AI’s potential to drive economic growth, strengthen governance and accelerate social progress.

This year’s summit continues a series of international meetings previously held in the United Kingdom in 2023, South Korea in 2024 and France in 2025. Organisers say the platform is intended to foster cross-border partnerships and encourage dialogue on the ethical, economic and societal implications of artificial intelligence, while aligning innovation with the principle of “AI for Humanity”.

With agency inputs