On Thursday, Bill Gates withdrew from his planned speech at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. This decision happened only hours before he was supposed to talk to world leaders and business heads. While Mr. Gates was already in India to talk about technology and health, his team said he stepped down so the event could stay focused on its main goals. This move comes at the same time as new reports about his past link to Jeffrey Epstein.
Events Leading to the Withdrawal
Mr. Gates arrived in India earlier this week. His team at the Gates Foundation first told the public he would definitely speak. However, the situation changed quickly on Thursday morning.
Tuesday: The Foundation told the media that Mr. Gates would give his speech as planned.
Wednesday: Reports began to spread that he might not attend due to public talk about his past.
Thursday Morning: Hours before the event, the Foundation confirmed Mr. Gates would not speak.
The Replacement: Ankur Vora, the head of the Foundation’s Africa and India offices, took his place at the summit.
"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." — Official statement from the Gates Foundation.
Reported Evidence and New Files
The change in plans follows the release of documents from the U.S. Department of Justice in late January 2026. These files contain more details about the years Mr. Gates and Jeffrey Epstein spoke to each other.
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| Type of Evidence | Detail from Files |
|---|---|
| Draft Email | A message Epstein wrote to himself claiming he helped Mr. Gates with personal matters. |
| Communication | Records showing several years of contact between the two men. |
| Legal Status | The files were part of a larger drop of documents related to Epstein’s past crimes. |
The core issue is whether the new details in these files made it difficult for Mr. Gates to represent his foundation at a high-level government event.
Reasons for the Decision
1. The Goal of the AI Summit
The event in New Delhi is very important for India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron were there. The goal was to talk about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help poor people and create jobs.
Did the Foundation worry that reporters would ask about Epstein instead of AI?
Would his presence have taken attention away from the Prime Minister’s goals?
2. Shifting Statements from the Foundation
There is a clear gap between what the Foundation said on Tuesday and what happened on Thursday.
Tuesday: They "insisted" he was attending.
Thursday: They said he would not speak "after careful consideration."
This suggests that either new pressure was applied or the Foundation changed its mind about how the public would react to Mr. Gates.
3. The Content of the DOJ Files
The files include a draft email where Epstein claims he helped arrange meetings for Mr. Gates outside of his marriage. Mr. Gates has said in the past that his meetings with Epstein were a "huge mistake." However, these new files suggest the relationship might have involved more personal topics than previously known.
Read More: Bill Gates Withdraws India AI Summit Speech After Epstein Scrutiny
Analysis of the Situation
The decision for Mr. Gates to step back suggests a "safety first" approach by his advisors. In India, the Gates Foundation does a lot of work with the government on health and farming.
"We must democratize AI. It must become a medium for inclusion and empowerment." — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.
Because the Prime Minister wanted the focus to be on "inclusion," having a speaker who is currently a topic of a legal controversy could have been seen as a distraction. By sending Ankur Vora instead, the Foundation kept its place at the event without the media focus on Mr. Gates' personal history.
Conclusion and Current Status
Mr. Gates remains in India but has avoided the main stage of the AI summit. His Foundation says they are still fully committed to working with India on health and technology.
What we know:
Mr. Gates did not give his speech.
The decision was made at the last minute.
New documents about Jeffrey Epstein were released just weeks before this trip.
What is not yet clear:
Did the Indian government ask Mr. Gates to step down, or was it his own choice?
Will these new files affect his future work with other world leaders?
The next steps for the Foundation will likely involve proving that their work in India can continue regardless of the news surrounding their founder.
Read More: New Epstein Files Lead to Investigations and Resignations in Europe
Sources Used
BBC News: Bill Gates pulls out of India's AI summit over Epstein files controversy (Details on the sudden withdrawal and the Vishakhapatnam AI hub).
CNBC: Amid Epstein fallout, Bill Gates becomes point of controversy at India AI summit (Information on DOJ files and the draft email).
The Guardian: Bill Gates cancels keynote speech in India amid questions over Epstein ties (Details on the timeline and other summit attendees like Emmanuel Macron).
Gulf News: Bill Gates cancels India summit speech amid Epstein controversy (Foundation statements regarding the "key priorities").
South China Morning Post (SCMP): Bill Gates backs out of India AI summit speech amid Epstein storm (Quotes from PM Modi and information on the replacement speaker).
