Bill Gates pulls out of India’s AI summit at the last minute in the latest blow to an event dogged by organizational chaos

Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates pulled out of India’s AI Impact Summit just hours before he was scheduled to address the event with a keynote speech. The Bill Gates Foundation said in a statement that the decision was made “to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities.”

Rumors had been swirling around Gates’ attendance throughout the week due to renewed scrutiny over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. However, just days ago, the foundation confirmed the tech leader was still planning to attend the event.