On June 14, 2026, Warren Buffett sat down with CNBC's Becky Quick in Omaha for a nearly hour-long interview, during which he made two unexpected revelations. First, Buffett announced he is cutting off future donations to the Gates Foundation, a decision he attributed to his three children now being capable of responsibly managing and distributing large sums of money. Over the past two decades, Buffett donated nearly $48 billion in Berkshire Hathaway shares to the Gates Foundation, as valued at the time of donation, and almost $18 billion to other family foundations including the Sherwood Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the NoVo Foundation, and the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation [1].
Buffett clarified that while he found Bill Gates' ties to Jeffrey Epstein "distasteful," this was not the primary reason for ending his contributions. He stated, "I'm impressed by the fact that my kids really want to give the money away efficiently, without constructing huge buildings or holding conferences at esoteric places and all kinds of things." Buffett also noted he did not have the same confidence in his children back in 2006 when he began his donations to the Gates Foundation [1].
Buffett confirmed he and Gates had met in Omaha within the last several weeks to discuss the matter, and Gates is "OK" with the decision. Gates, in a statement emailed to CNBC, called Buffett "one of the greatest philanthropists of all time, and a dear friend," and credited Buffett's "unprecedented support" with helping to save millions of lives [1].
The second revelation was Buffett's confirmation that he initiated Berkshire Hathaway's now $30 billion position in Alphabet, the parent company of Google, a move previously attributed to new CEO Greg Abel. Buffett also stated he is accelerating the pace of his philanthropic gifts, planning to give away more shares each year to "dispose of all of my Berkshire shares within about eight years," citing his children's growing age and readiness to manage the funds [1].
CONCLUSION
Warren Buffett's decision to end future donations to the Gates Foundation marks a significant shift in his philanthropic strategy, emphasizing his confidence in his children's stewardship. The revelation of Berkshire Hathaway's $30 billion Alphabet stake underscores Buffett's continued influence in major investment decisions. These developments are likely to have medium market impact, particularly for Berkshire Hathaway and Alphabet shareholders.