Suspense over, Bill Gates will attend India AI Summit; Foundation junks reports of invitation cancellation

His name was not on the guest list on the website on February 17, leading to reports that the government had cancelled his invitation.

New Delhi: The confusion surrounding Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ participation in the India AI Impact Summit has now been cleared. According to a Gates Foundation spokesperson, Bill Gates will participate in the summit as scheduled and deliver his keynote address.

His name was not on the guest list on the website on February 17, leading to reports that the government had cancelled his invitation. The reason was stated to be his name appearing in controversial documents related to American criminal Jeffrey Epstein.

The summit, which began on February 16th at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi, will continue until February 20th. The India AI Impact Expo 2026 is also being held alongside the summit, where companies from around the world will showcase their latest AI solutions.

Meeting Epstein was a big mistake: Bill Gates

Jeffrey Epstein was an American financier accused of serious sexual offenses and the trafficking of minors. Following his suicide in prison in 2019, several classified documents related to him were recently released. Bill Gates was also named in these documents.

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These files claim that Epstein and Gates had a close relationship. Epstein allegedly facilitated Gates’ extramarital affairs and other personal activities. Bill Gates recently expressed regret over these meetings in an interview.

He stated, “I regret and apologize for the time I spent with Epstein.” Gates has previously stated that he met Epstein only for charity and fundraising purposes, but now considers it a big mistake.