India, July 16 -- In a major shift to his long-running philanthropic strategy, billionaire investor Warren Buffett has ended donations to the Gates Foundation after nearly two decades, following renewed scrutiny surrounding Bill Gates' past interactions with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The announcement came as Buffett revealed he would donate approximately $6 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four charitable foundations managed by his family, excluding the Gates Foundation for the first time since making his landmark pledge in 2006.

According to Buffett's statement issued on Tuesday, the 95-year-old Berkshire Hathaway chairman will distribute around 12 million Class B Berkshire Hathaway shares among four family-ru...