Gates Foundation chairman Bill Gates will no longer deliver his keynote speech at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the foundation confirmed on Thursday, 19th February. Gates was expected to speak on the fourth day of the six-day event in New Delhi.
In an official statement, the foundation said the decision was taken after “careful consideration” to ensure that the summit remains focused on its main themes around artificial intelligence and development. Instead of Gates, Ankur Vora, President of the Foundation’s Africa and India offices, will represent the organisation and address the gathering later in the day.
— Gates Foundation India (@BMGFIndia) February 19, 2026
The foundation also stressed that it remains fully committed to its partnerships and ongoing work in India, particularly in health and development.
Earlier in the week, there were reports that Bill Gates might skip the summit during his visit to India. At that time, the foundation had dismissed those reports and maintained that he would deliver his keynote as planned. However, his name later did not appear on the final list of key participants, leading to fresh speculation before Thursday’s confirmation.
Gates arrived in India earlier this week and travelled to Andhra Pradesh, where he met Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. He also interacted with senior state officials during the launch of several projects supported by the Gates Foundation.
Mention in ‘Epstein Files’ sparks controversy
The development comes at a time when Bill Gates’ name has appeared in a fresh batch of documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein. The documents, released by the US Justice Department, reportedly contain over three million records connected to investigations into Epstein, who died by suicide in a US prison in 2019.
In one draft email included in the documents, Epstein wrote about his interactions with Gates and made claims about helping him in personal matters, including arranging meetings with women and providing medication. The email also contained explicit and personal remarks.
Gates has strongly denied the claims. He said he regrets the time he spent with Epstein and described those meetings as a mistake. He said he met Epstein in 2011 and had a few dinners with him over the next three years, but never visited Epstein’s private Caribbean island and did not have any relationships arranged by him.
“That email was never sent. The email is false,” Gates said, questioning why such a message was drafted in the first place.
A spokesperson for Gates also rejected the claims, calling them completely false and saying the documents only show Epstein’s frustration over not having a continued relationship with Gates. The spokesperson added that Epstein went to great lengths to try to harm Gates’ reputation.
Officials have also clarified that the appearance of a person’s name in the Epstein files does not automatically mean they were involved in any wrongdoing.
With the controversy drawing attention, the Gates Foundation appears to have chosen to step back from the spotlight at the AI summit, while continuing its engagement in India through its leadership team.
