An independent review commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has found no evidence that the foundation paid the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, or that its personnel participated in or were aware of his sex trafficking operations. The investigation, conducted by law firm WilmerHale and summarised in a three-page public statement on Tuesday, examined interactions between 2011 and 2014 and concluded that approximately 30 meetings took place between Epstein and foundation leaders and staff, all focused on philanthropic proposals that ultimately did not materialise or were handled through standard due diligence.

Bill Gates, who chairs the foundation, acknowledged that he knew of Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution and that staff had raised reputational concerns about the association. The review found that Epstein was introduced to Gates and the foundation by an adviser in 2011, and that discussions centred on a proposed donor-advised fund to pool wealthy individuals’ gifts for global public health, as well as a grant to the International Peace Institute for polio eradication. Gates told a congressional committee last month that meeting Epstein was a “grave error in judgment”, and the foundation’s summary noted that Gates later concluded Epstein had “misrepresented” potential donors’ willingness to contribute, leading the foundation to abandon the fund concept in 2014.

Separately, Warren Buffett, the 95-year-old chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and a longtime benefactor of the Gates Foundation, confirmed in an interview with CNBC that the foundation will no longer receive future donations from him. For the first time in 21 years, the Gates Foundation was absent from his annual charitable giving list. Buffett stated that the decision was part of a broader reassessment of his estate plans and reflected his belief that his three children are now prepared to oversee his fortune, rather than being driven by Gates’s association with Epstein, which he described as “distasteful” but a mistake of judgment. He added that the Gates Foundation has ample resources and that Bill Gates still intends to donate significant personal wealth.

Following the review, the foundation’s governing board unanimously approved a series of governance reforms, including a centralised vetting process for third parties, a formal escalation process for reputational risks linked to projects introduced by senior leadership, and expanded conflict-of-interest policies. Chief executive Mark Suzman said the measures would strengthen accountability, while Gates described the review as an important step in providing clarity to partners, employees and grantees. The foundation did not indicate whether it would release the full WilmerHale report.