By Robert Booth
Publication Date: 2026-02-19 05:27:00
Bill Gates has pulled out of a keynote address at the AI Impact Summit in India amid continued questions about his relationship with late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The billionaire Microsoft co-founder traveled to India earlier this week, where his foundation is working with the government to deploy AI for social good, and it was announced that he would appear as a speaker at the international summit shortly after the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
But Gates suddenly withdrew on Thursday morning, hours before he was scheduled to address delegates including French President Emmanuel Macron and India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani.
The Gates Foundation said in a statement: “After careful consideration and to ensure the focus remains on the key priorities of the AI Summit, Mr. Gates will not deliver his keynote address.”
The move came less than 48 hours after the Gates Foundation insisted: “Bill Gates is attending the AI Impact Summit. He will give his speech…
