Andhra Pradesh Welcomes Bill Gates, Faces Backlash Over Epstein Allegations

Bill Gates was accorded a ceremonial welcome by the Andhra Pradesh government on Monday during his visit to the state, even as sections of social media criticised the move amid renewed debate over his past association with Jeffrey Epstein.

Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and chair of the Gates Foundation, was received at Gannavaram Airport by state minister Nara Lokesh and other cabinet members. The visit included meetings at the state secretariat to explore collaboration in healthcare, agriculture, education and technology-driven governance initiatives.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said he discussed his long-term development roadmap, “Swarna Andhra 2047,” and potential partnerships aimed at improving service delivery and innovation-led growth. Naidu also recalled his earlier engagement with Gates dating back to the late 1990s, when Andhra Pradesh was promoting itself as an emerging IT destination.

According to reports, Gates was also scheduled to participate in the AI-India Impact Summit during his trip.

However, the visit sparked criticism online, with some users referencing documents related to Epstein that have been made public in the United States. Gates has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein but has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, describing allegations linked to those records as false and “completely absurd” in past interviews.

Social media posts also revived long-standing claims that global philanthropic initiatives treat developing nations as testing grounds — an accusation Gates and his foundation have rejected, maintaining that their programmes operate in partnership with governments and public health institutions.

While no major political party formally escalated the issue, the backlash underscored how Gates’s public appearances continue to attract scrutiny alongside recognition of his philanthropic and technology initiatives.