The release of new documents linked to the Jeffrey Epstein case has triggered fresh scrutiny, prompting Bill Gates to withdraw from delivering a keynote speech at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, according to a statement from the Gates Foundation.
The foundation confirmed that Bill Gates would not address Thursday’s high-profile artificial intelligence summit, which is being attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, global policymakers and leading technology executives.
“After careful consideration, and to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities, Mr Gates will not be delivering his keynote address,” the Gates Foundation said in a statement. It added that the president of its Africa and India offices would speak in his place.
The development follows the publication of additional documents by the United States Department of Justice related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in prison in 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking charges.
The latest tranche of files reportedly includes emails and draft communications referencing several prominent figures. In one draft email cited in the documents, Epstein made allegations about Gates’s personal conduct. Gates has categorically denied the claims.
“That email was never sent. The email is false,” Gates said in a recent interview with 9News Australia. “Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologise.”
A spokesperson for Gates also rejected the allegations, stating that the documents reflect Epstein’s attempts to damage Gates’s reputation after their association ended. “The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame,” the spokesperson said.
The mere appearance of a name in the Epstein files does not, by itself, imply wrongdoing. Legal analysts have cautioned that references in the documents vary in context and significance.
Melinda French Gates, who divorced Gates in 2021, told National Public Radio that the renewed attention surrounding the document release revived painful memories. She said questions surrounding the matter should be addressed by those directly involved.
The AI Impact Summit in New Delhi is focused on artificial intelligence governance, regulation and innovation policy, with discussions on technology ethics, global investment and regulatory frameworks. Indian authorities have not linked Gates’s withdrawal to any official action or investigation.
The controversy underscores the broader reputational risks facing global business leaders when historical associations resurface through legal disclosures. It also highlights the sensitivity of major international policy forums, where organisers seek to maintain focus on technology, governance and economic development agendas.
