What Happened at the Last Minute
Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, pulled out of delivering his keynote address at India’s AI Impact Summit 2026 — and he did it just hours before he was suppose to walk on stage.
The Gates Foundation released a short, careful statement. They said Gates opted to withdrawn “to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s essential priorities.” No detailed reasons was given. No rescheduling was mentioned.
People found out the same morning he was meant to speak. The withdrawal came just two days after the Gates Foundation India themselves had confirmed on X that he would be delivering the keynote “as scheduled.”
That sudden flip raised a lot of questions.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 — Why It Mattered
India’s AI Impact Summit 2026 is no small event. It is being called one of the biggest AI conferences ever held in the Global South — and possibly the world.
The summit ran from February 16 to February 20, 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself inaugurated the event on February 18, addressing global leaders and tech giants.
Modi called India not just a participant in the AI revolution — but a leader of it. “Any AI model that succeeds in India can be deployed globally,” he said, inviting the world to Design and Develop in India, Deliver to the World.
Key names like Sam Altman of OpenAI and other top technology executives were present at the summit. The event was meant to be a landmark moment for India’s place in global AI conversations.
Gates was one of the most high-profile keynote speakers lined up. His withdrawal, naturally, did not go unnoticed.
The Epstein Files — What Set All of This Off
To understand why Gates walked away, you have to go back a few weeks.
In early February 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice released a massive new tranche of documents connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — over 3 million pages in total.
Inside that release? Two draft emails from July 2013. They were apparently written by Epstein — to himself.
These emails made explosive, unverified claims:
- Epstein alleged he had arranged sexual encounters for Gates
- He claimed he helped Gates obtain medication to hide an STI from his wife Melinda
- References were made to meetings with “Russian girls” and “married women”
Important to note: these claims have not been verified. Gates has denied every allegation, calling the emails “false.”
“It’s false. I don’t know what his motive was,” Gates said in a media interview following the release. “Every minute I spent with him I regret, and I apologize for that.”
No criminal charges have been filed against Gates in connection with Epstein. The draft emails were unsent messages stored in Epstein’s account — who authored them with certainty remains unknown.
Still, the public reaction was intense. And it followed Gates all the way to India.
What the Gates Foundation Said
The official statement from the Gates Foundation India was brief but telling.
“After careful consideration, and to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s essential priorities, Mr. Gates will not be delivering his keynote address.”
No further explanation. No mention of Epstein by name. No alternate statement was issued by the summit organizers either.
The abruptness of it all is what really caught global attention. The Gates Foundation had, just 48 hours earlier, publicly reaffirmed his participation. That reversal — within two days — suggested the pressure building around the Epstein controversy had become too significant to ignore.
How This Affected the Summit
The withdrawal dealt what Reuters described as “a fresh blow” to an event already facing some organisational troubles. Reports from the first days of the summit described long queues, entry confusions, and logistical lapses at the venue.
Despite Gates’s absence, the summit carried on. Sam Altman was present, and there was even an unusual, widely-circulated moment of him standing awkwardly beside Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei — captured in a now-viral image that circulated across social media within hours.
India’s focus on making AI “human-centric” and accessible to the Global South remained central to the event’s discussions. The final outcome document being prepared is said to focus on voluntary frameworks to expand access to foundational AI resources, with an emphasis on national sovereignty.
But for many observers, the headline of the day was not what was said on stage — it was who didn’t show up.
Bill Gates and Jeffrey Epstein — A Timeline People Keep Asking About
This is not the first time Epstein’s name has been linked to Gates publicly.
- 2011: Gates meets Epstein multiple times, including at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse, according to previously reported meetings
- 2013: The alleged draft emails that are now drawing scrutiny were reportedly written
- 2019: Gates publicly acknowledges meeting Epstein “a number of times,” calls it a “mistake”
- February 2026: The DOJ document dump re-ignites controversy with new, unverified details
- February 19, 2026: Gates cancels his India AI Summit keynote just hours before the speech
Gates has consistently denied any criminal wrongdoing. His foundation continues its humanitarian work globally, including in India.
Why This Story Is Bigger Than Just a Cancelled Speech
A tech billionaire pulling out of a summit is, on its own, not huge news.
But this isn’t just about skipping a speech. It is about whether someone at the center of a global philanthropy-tech empire can continue operating in public-facing roles while an ongoing controversy around their past associations remains unresolved.
India’s AI summit was one of the most watched tech events of the year. Having Gates cancel last-minute — with no proper explanation — turns a story about AI into a story about accountability, reputation management, and how powerful men navigate public perception.
The Epstein document release is not going away. With over 3 million pages still being reviewed by journalists, lawyers, and investigators worldwide, more details will likely continue to surface in the months ahead.
For Gates, the challenge now is: can his foundation’s work and legacy stand independently of the scandal’s ongoing noise?
What Happens Next
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 wraps up on February 20, 2026.
India’s government has indicated the summit’s final document will outline a voluntary, non-binding framework for global AI cooperation — one that centers equitable access and national sovereignty.
On the Gates front, his foundation has not issued any further statements. Journalists from CNN, Reuters, CNBC, and others have reached out to the Gates Foundation and summit organizers for additional comment — responses remain pending as of February 19, 2026.
