One moment, he was a headline speaker. Next, his name quietly vanished from the India AI Impact Summit 2026 website. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who was earlier confirmed as a key attendee at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi, is no longer listed under the event’s “Global Visionaries.” And there’s been no official announcement explaining why. Gates was officially invited, and was already in India When India first released the guest list for the AI Impact Summit 2026, Gates’ name was prominently featured. He was listed alongside global tech leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis. This wasn’t a remote confirmation. Gates flew into Andhra Pradesh and was welcomed at Gannavaram Airport by state ministers. Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh even posted on X about receiving the Chair of the Gates Foundation along with other cabinet colleagues. During his visit, Gates met Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, held discussions with Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and visited a farm near Undavalli village to see drone and AI-assisted farming in action In short, he was physically in India and actively engaging in discussions that closely align with the summit’s themes. Then his name disappeared Despite being listed in official releases and promotional material earlier, Gates’ name is no longer visible on the summit website under the “Global Visionaries” section. There has been no public statement confirming whether: The summit continues through February 20, but his absence from the official attendee list has raised eyebrows. Government sources: Invite was “reviewed” According to a media report source, the invite extended to Bill Gates was “reviewed.” Another source indicated that it was “vital to stand with Epstein survivors.”
While there has been no detailed clarification, these comments suggest that concerns linked to Gates’ past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein may have played a role in reassessing his participation. However, no formal explanation has been issued by the summit organisers or the government. Not the first big exit This is not the first or last-minute change involving a high-profile tech leader at the summit. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who was expected to be one of the major speakers, also withdrew earlier, citing “unforeseen circumstances.” The difference? Huang’s exit was publicly acknowledged and widely reported. Gates’ removal, in contrast, happened quietly, without any official statement The big question As of now, there is no official confirmation on whether Bill Gates has withdrawn, been uninvited, or shifted to private engagements. What is clear is this: he was on the list, he was in the country, and now he is no longer publicly part of the summit’s lineup. Until organisers clarify the situation, the sudden change is likely to fuel speculation around what really happened behind the scenes at AI Impact Summit 2026.
