Feb. 19 (UPI) — Bill Gates canceled his keynote address at the AI Impact Summit in India at the last minute as his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein has garnered increased scrutiny.
The Gates Foundation did not give a reason for Gates’ last-minute withdrawal despite him traveling to India for the event.
“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 foundation said in a statement.
Gates has long been under scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein but it has increased in recent weeks after draft emails in Epstein’s email account implicating Gates were released. In the drafts, which appear to have been written by Epstein, he claims that he arranged sexual encounters for Gates.
Gates has denied the allegations. He claims that he only interacted with Epstein at dinners focused on philanthropic discussions. He also claims that he never went to Epstein’s island Little St. James and “never met any women.”
Throughout the week it was unclear whether Gates would be in attendance for the summit in India. India’s IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters on Tuesday that “personal choices” would determine if Gates attended.
The scrutiny around associates and potential co-conspirators of Epstein continues to heighten after the release of more files related to the U.S. government’s investigation into his sex trafficking ring.
Real estate mogul Les Wexner was deposed by the Congressional Oversight Committee on Wednesday over being named a potential co-conspirator.
On Thursday, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, was arrested by British police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The British government is investigating his ties to Epstein. The former prince was stripped of his titles in 2022 after being linked to Epstein.
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