Bill Gates Pulls Out of India AI Summit as Epstein Files Cast Long Shadow

Just hours before taking the stage at India's most ambitious AI gathering, Bill Gates vanished from the program. The $200 billion investment summit suddenly lost its star speaker—not due to illness or scheduling conflicts, but because of ghosts from the past.

When Past Associations Derail Present Plans

The Gates Foundation cited a need to "ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities" when announcing the cancellation Thursday. But the real reason was far more complex: mounting pressure over Gates's connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, revealed in court documents released in late January.

Those files contained a draft email allegedly written by Epstein claiming Gates had extramarital affairs and sought help procuring drugs "to deal with consequences of sex with Russian girls." While Gates denies any wrongdoing and it's unclear if Epstein actually sent the email, the damage was done.

Indian opposition figures and media commentators had spent weeks questioning whether Gates's presence was appropriate. The controversy grew so intense that even after the Gates Foundation's India office confirmed Tuesday that he would "deliver his keynote as scheduled," the pressure proved insurmountable.

The Modi Government's Epstein Problem

Gates wasn't the only prominent figure caught in the Epstein file crossfire. The documents also implicated key players in Narendra Modi's government, creating a political minefield that extends far beyond one cancelled speech.

Most damaging was an Epstein email referencing Modi's historic 2017 visit to Israel—the first by an Indian Prime Minister. Epstein wrote: "The Indian Prime minister modi took advice. and danced and sang in israel for the benefit of the US president... IT WORKED. !"

This single email turbocharged existing criticism of Modi's Israel policy. India was the first non-Arab nation to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1974 and didn't establish full diplomatic relations with Israel until 1992. Modi's embrace of Benjamin Netanyahu's government—strengthening military, intelligence, and trade ties—had already drawn fire from opposition parties who accused him of abandoning India's traditional support for Palestine.

Now, critics argue, there's evidence suggesting this policy shift was influenced by Washington rather than India's independent strategic interests.

A Web of Uncomfortable Connections

The files reveal more uncomfortable details. India's current Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri exchanged dozens of emails with Epstein after joining Modi's party in 2014. Many show Puri apparently seeking Epstein's help connecting with US investors like LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman.

In one particularly telling exchange, Puri wrote: "Please let me know when you are back from your exotic island," asking to arrange a meeting where he could give Epstein books to "excite an interest in India."

Puri claims he only met Epstein "three or four times," but the email trail suggests a much closer relationship—the kind that opposition parties are now using as political ammunition.

The Government's Calculated Silence

Perhaps most revealing is how Modi's government has handled the controversy: with studied ambiguity. Modi himself hasn't publicly addressed the Epstein connections. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw deflected reporters' questions about Gates's participation without clear answers.

Only the Ministry of External Affairs offered a forceful response, with spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissing the Epstein email as "trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal." But this defensive stance may have inadvertently highlighted the government's discomfort with the entire affair.

When Tech Philanthropy Meets Geopolitical Reality

The Gates controversy illuminates a fundamental tension in modern tech diplomacy. The Gates Foundation has been instrumental in India's public health infrastructure for decades, funding vaccination campaigns, disease prevention programs, and sanitation initiatives that have saved countless lives.

Yet Gates has faced persistent criticism from activists like Vandana Shiva, who argues his "philanthro-imperialism" uses wealth to control global food systems. His 2024 podcast comment describing India as "a kind of laboratory to try things" before scaling them elsewhere only reinforced these concerns.

This raises uncomfortable questions: Should past associations or controversial statements disqualify beneficial partnerships? Where's the line between legitimate criticism and cancel culture?

Beyond Gates: A Summit in Crisis

The Gates withdrawal wasn't the summit's only embarrassment. Galgotias University tried to pass off a Chinese-made robotic dog as its own innovation, prompting organizers to eject them from the event. Logistical failures created hours-long queues, and theft allegations against maintenance workers made headlines.

These mishaps might seem minor, but they reflect deeper issues about India's readiness to lead global AI discussions while managing basic event logistics and academic integrity.