yahoo news | “I Don’t Want To Be Called as a Witness”: Warren Buffett Reveals Why He’s Keepin...

Warren Buffett told CNBC’s Becky Quick on “Squawk Box” that he has not spoken to his longtime friend Bill Gates since the latest release of the Jeffrey Epstein files because he does not want to become a witness in any future court or congressional testimony. He described Epstein as a “sensational con man” and said he feels fortunate never to have met him, noting that Epstein never visited Omaha and Gates never involved Buffett in any gatherings with the disgraced financier. Buffett added that his eyesight prevents him from reading the documents himself, so a friend reads them aloud; what he heard left him “stunned at how one person could fool so many powerful figures,” prompting him to distance himself until the matter clears up.

The interview also covered the decades‑long partnership between Buffett and Gates, which began in 1991 and grew into a highly visible philanthropic alliance. Together they co‑founded The Giving Pledge and, since 2006, Buffett has donated more than $43 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to the Gates Foundation—making him one of its largest donors and supporting global health, education, and poverty‑reduction initiatives. While Buffett expressed no regret over those gifts, he noted that he resigned from the foundation’s board after the Gates’ divorce became public and now prefers not to learn anything new that could entangle him legally.

Buffett’s decision underscores how even the most prominent philanthropists will limit personal contact when legal risk emerges. At 95, he continues to prioritize clarity and risk avoidance, reinforcing his reputation for cautious decision‑making. The pause in communication between the two billionaires highlights the broader impact of the Epstein revelations on high‑profile relationships and raises questions about whether their historic collaboration will ever fully resume.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/don-t-want-called-witness-115551262.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

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