[AP]
[AP]

Warren Buffett, the Berkshire Hathaway chairman known as the "Oracle of Omaha," has spoken out about Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates' ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, calling the situation "unpleasant."

In an interview CNBC released Wednesday, Buffett said he had read extensively about what transpired between Gates and Epstein. "I've read a lot about what went on between Bill and Epstein since January 1," he said. "I read what he said under oath in Congress. I read the cross-examination."

Buffett offered some measure of understanding. "It's an unpleasant thing and he made mistakes, but I've also made mistakes in hiring all kinds of people or choosing friends — and later found out in one way or another that they weren't the kind of person I thought they were," he said.

He said he found nothing in what he had read that went beyond what he himself might have done under the circumstances. "He ended it," Buffett said of Gates' relationship with Epstein, describing it as a mistake within the range of what he could understand.

He added that "life goes on, and nobody bats a thousand when it comes to choosing people."

Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett (right) and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. [AP]
Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett (right) and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. [AP]

Meanwhile, Berkshire Hathaway announced Wednesday that it had halted its large-scale donations to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which Gates chairs. Berkshire had donated to the foundation since 2006, and Buffett contributed more than $47 billion worth of Berkshire shares.

Gates served on Berkshire Hathaway's board from 2004 to 2020, and the two men were close.

After the Epstein matter came to light, Buffett said in a separate CNBC interview in March that he had not spoken with Gates since documents related to the Epstein case were made public.

Gates testified before a closed-door hearing of the House Oversight Committee last month, calling his association with Epstein "a serious lapse in judgment" and saying: "I never witnessed, nor became aware of, Epstein engaging in ongoing criminal conduct."

He also said he had never visited Epstein's island, ranch or Florida home and had never harmed anyone, adding: "Epstein may have sought to cultivate a personal relationship with me, but I had no interest whatsoever and never reciprocated."


ygmoon@heraldcorp.com