What happens when the world’s most powerful philanthropist becomes a liability — and the sector he bankrolls can no longer afford to look away?
The renewed scrutiny around Bill Gates’ relationship with Jeffrey Epstein — amplified by newly released documents — has landed at a tricky time for global development. Gates denies wrongdoing and says he laments meeting Epstein. The Gates Foundation says it “regrets having any employees interact with Epstein in any way.” But this debate is no longer just about personal judgment. It’s about power and how we all view modern philanthropy.
As my colleague Michael Igoe reported, some experts hope the controversy broadens into a reality check. “Hypocrisy is at the core of philanthropy, and we all have to come to terms with that,” historian Maribel Morey told him. Great fortunes are rarely built in morally pristine ways, she said, yet philanthropy often transforms that wealth into moral authority. As Devex Managing Editor Anna Gawel asked on the latest episode of our podcast, This Week in Global Development: “Are we idolizing billionaires who give away their billions without really holding them to account?”