Gates Foundation To Cut 20% of Staff, Review Epstein Ties (reuters.com)
- Reference: 0181867202
- News link: https://slashdot.org/story/26/04/22/195209/gates-foundation-to-cut-20-of-staff-review-epstein-ties
- Source link: https://www.reuters.com/business/gates-foundation-cut-20-staff-review-epstein-ties-wsj-reports-2026-04-21/
> The Gates Foundation [1]opened an external review earlier this year into its engagement with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the philanthropic group said on Tuesday. The foundation has been mired in controversy due to Chairman Bill Gates' association with Epstein. A release of emails in January by the U.S. Justice Department also showed communication between Epstein and the Gates Foundation's staff.
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> "Early this year, Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman commissioned an external review to assess past foundation engagement with Epstein, and our current policies for vetting and developing new philanthropic partnerships," the foundation said in a statement. "That review is underway, and we expect the board and management will receive an update this summer," it added. The [2]Wall Street Journal , which first reported the news earlier on Tuesday, said Suzman told staff in a memo, "this is a challenging time for our organization in many ways, but it also highlights the critical importance of taking the tough actions now."
The WSJ also reports that the Gates Foundation will eliminate up to 500 jobs, or about 20% of its staff, by 2030. It said the foundation has a 2026 budget of about $9 billion, but plans to cap operating expenses at $1.25 billion.
Further reading: [3]The Bill Gates-Epstein Bombshell - and What Most People Get Wrong
[1] https://www.reuters.com/business/gates-foundation-cut-20-staff-review-epstein-ties-wsj-reports-2026-04-21/
[2] https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/21/gates-foundation-jeffrey-epstein-jobs-cuts.html
[3] https://news.slashdot.org/story/26/01/31/0419247/the-bill-gates-epstein-bombshell---and-what-most-people-get-wrong
Wow (Score:4, Funny)
It must be something to have a job description of "Spend Bill Gates' money"
Re: (Score:3)
And it seems like must pay well. Their overhead is over 10% if the numbers are correct. 9B/1.25B overhead. This doesn't sound great given I assume they have basically zero cost to get more funds. I thought most charities overhead was dominated by donor costs, which should be zero for GF.
Re: (Score:2)
But why in God's name did the foundation need 2,500 of them just to spend Billykins money ? Its investment portfolio is presumably just one stock. Doesn't take a whole department to manage one stock. They don't need R&D, design, production, quality control, warehousing, sales, marketing, customer service, accounts receivable, or accounts payable. They all must be lobbyists, and HR of course to pay them, and lawyers, lots and lots of lawyers.
Bill G has to worry about fraud too ... (Score:1)
> But why in God's name did the foundation need 2,500 of them just to spend Billykins money ?
I think the emerging Minnesota and California scandals are demonstrating why charity funding must be closely monitored, charitable orgs investigated. Private orgs can be targeted just like government agencies.
A graduate of the "Quality Learing Center" (Score:2)
> I think the emerging Minnesota ... scandal Do you spend all day getting your brain cooked by podcasts? Nick Shirley didn't find anything,
Yep, that's exactly the problem at the "Quality Learing Center. No one there. ;-)
Re: (Score:1)
Are you ok? Did you forget you're meds? Are you trying to discredit the left by not filtering your online thoughts?
Re: (Score:2)
Sorry I stole your subject line.
great sig btw - please ignore mine.
One man can only spend money so fast (Score:2)
> It must be something to have a job description of "Spend Bill Gates' money"
One man can only spend money on hookers and cocaine so fast, interest and dividends on "the money" probably exceeds hooker and cocaine expenses.
Re: (Score:2)
Unless he shares, ya know?
Although, I'd be wary of the coke (would wanna test a little bit first)... and want the hookers certified clean (of course).
Maybe the Foundation could just mail checks from just the interest and dividends to the population, instead (don't wanna have to fly out that way for the party)... I can party here :-)
Re: (Score:2)
> and want the hookers certified clean (of course).
Certification can be iffy.
A former boss was a Vietnam era Army medic. One week he accepted a rather large bribe to keep a particular high earner off the no-go list at the local brothel for officers. A Captain got the clap. The Colonel promptly transferred the medic to a Special Forces firebase in enemy territory that needed a replacement medic.
wow (Score:2)
If it's charity, and presumably all his money, why doesn't Gates just tell media STFU? And how does chopping staff from his foundation help with rehabilitation of his image? I don't get it.
Gotta get the hookers and dealers off the payroll (Score:2)
> If it's charity, and presumably all his money, why doesn't Gates just tell media STFU? And how does chopping staff from his foundation help with rehabilitation of his image? I don't get it.
1. The hookers -- err, consultants -- on the staff need to be removed.
2. The drug dealers -- err, logistics managers -- on staff need to be removed.
3. A portion of the remaining staff doing real work is a convenient scapegoat.
BillG has made the org more honest and more efficient. Its safe to donate to now.
Re: (Score:2)
> And how does chopping staff from his foundation help with rehabilitation of his image?
He could claim they were the reason he associated with Epstein, and very stupid people might believe it. It takes very stupid people to believe in Gates' philanthropy, but lots of people do, so there is evidence that this is a working strategy.
Overhead (Score:2)
Does it really take $1.25 billion in opex to give away $9 billion? WOW!
$1.25 billion get you 5,000 employees making 250k each. At a charity???? (I know. There is also coffee, insurance, rent, lawyers, etc.)
Who on earth is running this place? Oh. Wait...
Jeffrey Epstein was an influence peddler (Score:2)
He was good at introducing ambitious people to established well connected people. He was good at introducing rich people to talented people with ideas. He was good at enabling companies to get audiences with politicians writing legislation that affected those companies (he helped facilitate regulator capture). He helped lubricate the wheels of commerce between countries. If you were rich and needed something Epstein likely had a friend who owed him a favor who could help you.
So yes, lots of people d
Re: (Score:2)
> It is a way for some people to claim they are morally superior to Gates or Trump.
That bar is so low an arthritic ant could clear it.
Penicillin (Score:2)
If only they could have noticed something was up when Melinda Gates resigned from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and filed for divorce from her husband over Epstein ties in 2021.
But that was fairly subtle so it's hard to blame them for not connecting the dots. It would be foolish to accuse them of being complicit in the coverup of heinous crimes.
Sounds like a Conspiracy Theory only People Magazine could come up with.
Ohhh noooo (Score:2)
Now they'll have to convince 20% less African people that they're not good enough to have kids and should use contraception.
peak billionaire (Score:5, Funny)
I diddled some children, so you're fired.