New York: Warren Buffett has ended his charitable donations to the Gates Foundation, bringing a two-decade philanthropic partnership to a close as he redirects his giving to foundations run by his family.

The 95-year-old Berkshire Hathaway chairman announced on Tuesday that he would donate about $6 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock, comprising 12 million Class B shares, to four family foundations overseen by his daughter Susie Buffett and sons Howard Buffett and Peter Buffett.

Unlike previous years, Buffett’s announcement did not include a donation to the Gates Foundation, which has received more than $47 billion in Berkshire Hathaway shares since he pledged in 2006 to donate most of his fortune during his lifetime.

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In a statement, Buffett said his remaining Berkshire Hathaway shares would go to the four family foundations by December 31, 2034.

“Of course, mortality is unpredictable, but my remaining shares will be donated to the four foundations one way or the other by December 31, 2034,” he said.

Buffett has previously said his children will oversee a charitable trust containing about 99.5% of his remaining wealth after his death.

The decision follows increased scrutiny of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates over his past association with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Earlier this year, the US Department of Justice released files that included photographs of Gates with Epstein and documents showing communications between Epstein and staff at the Gates Foundation.

Last month, Gates told the US Congress that he first met Epstein in 2011, after Epstein had pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. Gates said their meetings focused on philanthropy but produced no meaningful results and ended in 2014.

He also testified that Epstein later attempted to blackmail him after learning about his marital infidelity. Gates has denied any involvement in criminal activity and has repeatedly expressed regret over his association with Epstein.

According to reports, Buffett waited for an independent review of the Gates Foundation’s historical links to Epstein before deciding whether to continue his annual donations.

Buffett has donated more than half of his Berkshire Hathaway holdings since launching his philanthropic programme in 2006. According to Forbes, he remains one of the world’s richest people with an estimated net worth of $147 billion.

His latest donation includes nine million Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares for the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and one million shares each for the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the Sherwood Foundation and the NoVo Foundation.

Buffett said he plans to increase the size of these annual donations over time, with the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation expected to receive the largest share.