Billionaire stock market investor Warren Buffett said on Tuesday, 31st March 2026 that he is not in touch with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates since his name has been associated with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While speaking to CNBC Buffet said that he has deliberately kept his distance to avoid being drawn into the matter as a potential witness.
He said, “I haven’t talked to him at all since the whole thing was unveiled,” Buffett further added, “I don’t want to be in a position where I know things, to be called as a witness”.
Both the billionaires have shared a long, close personal and philanthropic relationship since 2006. Buffett has donated more than $43 billion to the Gates Foundation co-founded by Bill Gates and his former wife Melinda Gates. Both the billionaires also launched The Giving Pledge, which was an initiative encouraging the world’s richest individuals to commit the majority of their fortunes to charitable causes.
However, Buffett has signaled that the controversy regarding Epstein files has collapsed the communication he said, “I think until it gets cleared up, it doesn’t make sense to do a lot of talking.”
Bill Gate’s name has been mentioned in the Epstein file consisting of claim that Epstein had information regarding Gate’s alleged interactions with women. An email attributed to Epstein claimed that Gates had arranged treatment for his then wife.
Microsoft’s co-founder accepted his past association with Epstein in February and apologised to his staff, calling it a “huge mistake” to have spent time with him. However, he maintained that he “never spent any time with victims or the women around him.”
Stock market billionaire has mentioned sex offender as an exceptionally manipulated individual
“It is astounding to me that anyone could be that successful as a con man,” Buffett said, noting, “Men are going to like sex … and some of them are going to like not paying taxes, and he figured out their weaknesses”.
Buffett also noted that Bill Gates could have introduced him to Epstein but did not, and he thanked him for not doing so.
Syed Ziyauddin is a media and international relations enthusiast with a strong academic and professional foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media from Jamia Millia Islamia and a Master’s in International Relations (West Asia) from the same institution.
He has work with organizations like ANN Media, TV9 Bharatvarsh, NDTV and Centre for Discourse, Fusion, and Analysis (CDFA) his core interest includes Tech, Auto and global affairs.
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