Buffett-ing a storm

Billions may end up aiding pro-abort fight

Warren Buffett could be planning to redirect tens of billions of dollars to his family’s abortion-rights charity even though the money was initially earmarked for the philanthropic foundation run by his good friend Bill Gates, according to a report.

In 2006, the billionaire investor pledged to bequeath 85% of stock in his holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In a letter to the couple, Buffett, who has vowed to give away 99% of his wealth to charity, wrote that he was “irrevocably committing to make annual gifts of Berkshire Hathaway ‘B’ shares throughout my lifetime.”

But The Wall Street Journal is reporting that an obscure Buffett family foundation that supports abortion rights is preparing to reap a large chunk of the fortune held by the “Oracle of Omaha” once the 91-year-old investor eventually dies.

The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation has been expanding its administrative staff ahead of an anticipated “massive influx of money,” according to the Journal.

The charity’s focus is promoting abortion rights — an issue that has taken on a new sense of urgency ahead of the Supreme Court’s anticipated ruling on Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that legalized abortion.

Philanthropic officials at both charities anticipate the Buffett family charity stands to receive somewhere between $70 billion and $100 billion.

Before stepping down from the board of the Gates Foundation last year, Buffett donated some $30 billion in his 15 years as a trustee.

The expectation is that shares of Berkshire Hathaway will continue to perform as they have in recent years — so much so that in a decade, Buffett’s stake in the company will be worth in excess of $200 billion.

Planning for Buffett’s estate, which has been ongoing for years, is unrelated to the investor’s health, the Journal said.

Buffett and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation didn’t respond to a request seeking comment.