Bill Gates Removed from India AI Impact Summit’s Global Visionaries List Over Epstein Linked Controversy
Microsoft co-founder removed from official roster after controversy over alleged links to Jeffrey Epstein
New Delhi, Feb 17: Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and prominent philanthropist, has been removed from the official Global Visionaries list of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 following allegations of ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The summit, held from February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, had initially listed Gates alongside tech leaders like OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Google’s Sundar Pichai. Although Gates arrived in India, organizers reportedly decided to drop his name at the last moment to avoid controversy.
Prior to the summit, Gates was welcomed in Amaravati by Andhra Pradesh minister Nara Lokesh and other Cabinet members at Gannavaram Airport. Lokesh shared on X, “Welcome to Amaravati, Mr Bill Gates. It was a pleasure to receive the Chair of the Gates Foundation at Gannavaram Airport today.”
However, the visit drew criticism from opposition parties. Congress leader Anup Dhote stated, “His name has appeared multiple times in the Epstein files, along with photos. After knowing all this, anyone should avoid meeting him,” highlighting concerns over hosting Gates despite the allegations.
Responding to the controversy, Gates denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations “absolutely absurd and completely false.”
The incident adds to the ongoing debate over the presence of global tech leaders with controversial links at high-profile international events.
