Bill Gates received a warm welcome from the Andhra Pradesh government on Monday during his visit to the state, but the reception also triggered criticism online over renewed attention to his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Gates, who co-founded Microsoft and currently chairs the Gates Foundation, was received at Gannavaram Airport by state IT Minister Nara Lokesh and other cabinet colleagues. Lokesh welcomed him publicly, describing it as a pleasure to host the philanthropist in Amaravati.
According to official statements, Gates held discussions at the state secretariat focused on expanding collaboration in public health, agriculture, education and technology-led governance. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said he revisited his long-standing engagement with Gates dating back to the late 1990s, when Andhra Pradesh was positioning itself as an emerging IT hub. Naidu added that the meeting centred on his “Swarna Andhra 2047” vision and potential partnerships aimed at improving service delivery and quality of life.
Reports also indicated that Gates was scheduled to participate in the AI-India Impact Summit during his visit.
However, the visit drew sharp reactions on social media, where some users criticised the state government for hosting him amid resurfaced references to documents related to Epstein. Portions of US court filings and records previously released by the US Justice Department have mentioned Gates in connection with Epstein, though no charges have been filed against him in relation to those materials.
Gates has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein but has said those interactions were a mistake in judgment. He has strongly denied allegations of any wrongdoing, calling claims linked to the so-called “Epstein files” false and baseless in media interviews.
Some online critics also accused Gates of “treating India like a lab” — a charge that has circulated in the past in debates over global health initiatives — though supporters argue that the Gates Foundation’s work in India has focused on vaccination drives, sanitation, digital public infrastructure and agricultural development in partnership with governments.
While opposition parties did not formally escalate the issue politically, dozens of social media posts questioned the optics of the high-profile reception.
The episode highlights how international visits by prominent global figures can quickly become entangled in ongoing controversies abroad, even as state governments seek to emphasise investment, technology partnerships and development cooperation.
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