Bill Gates, withdrew from India’s AI Impact Summit hours before his scheduled keynote, following scrutiny over his past ties to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after the release of U.S. Justice Department emails.

Axar.az, citing Reuters, reports that Gates’ absence added to the challenges facing the event, which had already been marred by organisational issues, traffic chaos, and a “robot row.”

The six-day summit, inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Emmanuel Macron, still secured over $200 billion in AI investment pledges, including $110 billion from Reliance Industries and a partnership between Tata Group and OpenAI.

Gates’ foundation sent Ankur Vora, its chief strategy officer for Africa and India, to speak in his place. Gates has maintained that his interactions with Epstein were limited to philanthropic discussions and admitted meeting him was a mistake.

The summit highlighted India’s ambitions in AI governance, with Modi emphasizing child safety in AI platforms and the launch of the New Delhi Frontier AI Commitments—a set of voluntary principles adopted by major AI firms, including OpenAI and Anthropic. A symbolic unity pose on stage, however, highlighted tensions between rival AI executives.

Despite the financial pledges, the summit faced heavy criticism for poor management, including surprise closures of exhibition halls, controversies over robotic displays, and severe traffic disruptions in New Delhi. Attendees and opposition parties criticized the government for its chaotic organisation.