Facing renewed scrutiny over his ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender and financier, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates withdrew from a scheduled keynote address to the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi Thursday. Without citing any reason, the Gates Foundation, in a statement hours before the address, said: “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 will be represented by Ankur Vora, President of Africa and India Offices, who will speak later today at the Summit.”“The Gates Foundation remains fully committed to our work in India to advance our shared health and development goals,” it stated.

Source: Indian Express February 20, 2026 00:19 UTC