Keynote Cancellation Announced Hours Before Speech The Gates Foundation disclosed that Bill Gates will not deliver his scheduled address at the India AI Impact Summit, issuing the notice just hours before the Thursday, Feb 18 2026 keynote was to begin [1][2][3]. The foundation said the decision was made to keep the summit’s focus on its core priorities [1][3]. No detailed explanation was provided in the CNN release, while the BBC report noted the foundation cited “careful consideration” as the rationale [1][2].

Epstein-Related Emails Prompt Controversy Department of Justice files released in January revealed email exchanges between Gates Foundation staff and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, including drafts alleging Epstein facilitated sexual encounters for Gates and helped conceal a sexually transmitted infection [2][3]. The Hindu highlighted that the DOJ disclosures showed repeated meetings after Epstein’s 2008 conviction [3]. Gates and his spokesperson have categorically denied the allegations, calling them “absurd and completely false” [1][2].

Ankur Vora Named Replacement Amid Ongoing Summit Ankur Vora, president of the Gates Foundation’s Africa and India offices, will speak in Gates’s place, representing the foundation at the five‑day event [1][2][3]. The summit will proceed with other high‑profile participants, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron, UN chief Antonio Guterres, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai [1]. Organizers reaffirmed commitment to AI democratization and regulation despite the controversy [1].

Gates Continues India Tour Despite Withdrawal During his stay, Gates visited Andhra Pradesh, meeting Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and discussing health, agriculture, education, and technology initiatives [1][2]. He thanked the state’s leadership on X for a “warm welcome” and highlighted ongoing foundation projects in the region [2]. The visit occurred before the final decision to withdraw from the summit was communicated [1].

Conflicting Foundations' Statements on Withdrawal Reason CNN reported that the foundation offered no explanation for the abrupt change, whereas the BBC quoted the foundation as emphasizing the need to keep the summit’s focus on priorities [1][2]. This discrepancy reflects differing public‑relations approaches among outlets covering the same announcement [1][2].