Share and Follow
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is set to reduce its workforce by up to 500 employees, amounting to around 20% of its current staff, as part of a strategic long-term reorganization. This announcement coincides with an ongoing external review concerning the foundation’s previous connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, a memo was circulated to staff on Tuesday. A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation confirmed to Fox News Digital that this external review was initially communicated to all employees via email last month and has been endorsed by both the board and Bill Gates himself. However, the foundation has not clarified whether these job reductions are related to the review.
The decision to cut jobs was first mentioned earlier in the year during the foundation’s budget discussions. Meanwhile, the review has intensified public interest regarding the foundation’s historical dealings with Epstein and its processes for evaluating potential partnerships, prompting broader inquiries into the governance of one of the leading philanthropic entities globally.
“Earlier this year, our CEO, Mark Suzman, initiated an external review to evaluate the foundation’s previous interactions with Epstein and to scrutinize our current protocols for establishing and nurturing new philanthropic collaborations,” a statement from the foundation noted. “This review is currently in progress, and we anticipate that both the board and management will receive an update by this summer.”
The Gates Foundation also informed Fox News Digital that the decision to downsize its workforce was originally disclosed in a press release issued in January.
The organization also said employees were informed about the job cuts during discussions of its 2026 budget in a January press release.
“This cap will reduce the foundation’s current headcount target of 2,375 positions by up to 500 positions by 2030, with targets and timelines to be calibrated on an annual basis,” the press release said.
The Gates Foundation was founded by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda Gates.
The review comes as renewed attention has been placed on Epstein’s connections. In February, the Department of Justice released more than 3 million of Epstein’s investigative records, including personal emails. Bill Gates’ name appeared in the emails, which reportedly indicated he had affairs while married to Melinda Gates and sought medication to treat a sexually transmitted infection without her knowledge.
Bill Gates (left) has previously spoken about his connection to Jeffrey Epstein. (Getty Images)
Gates later reportedly acknowledged having two affairs that Epstein was aware of but said neither involved Epstein’s victims.
“I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” Gates said, according to a town hall recording reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee June 10 to speak about his relationship with Epstein. (Ore Huiying/Bloomberg)
Bill Gates is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee June 10 for a transcribed interview as part of its ongoing investigation into Epstein.