Summary:
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Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates apologizes for association with Jeffrey Epstein, revealing extramarital affairs and addressing allegations from Epstein.
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Gates admits to meeting Epstein in 2011, regrets not looking into charges earlier, and emphasizes his mistakes.
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He also acknowledges his ex-wife’s skepticism about Epstein, discusses meetings with Epstein, and takes responsibility for his actions.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates publicly apologized to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation staff Tuesday for his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, calling the relationship a “huge mistake” while also disclosing two extramarital affairs during his marriage to Melinda French Gates.
At a town hall, Gates told foundation employees he “did nothing illicit” and “saw nothing illicit” during his interactions with Epstein, according to a recording reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the remarks.
Gates said he first met Epstein in 2011, years after Epstein had already pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution, and acknowledged he should have looked more closely into the charges before continuing to meet with him.
“It was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein,” Gates said. “I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made.”
Gates also told staff he had an affair with a Russian bridge player and a Russian nuclear physicist, and that his associate Boris Nikolic had discussed those relationships with Epstein. Gates stressed that neither woman was connected to Epstein’s known victims.
Among the DOJ documents released as part of the Epstein file dump were two emails Epstein sent to himself in July 2013 containing unverified allegations about Gates’ personal life. Representatives for Gates have previously called Epstein’s claims “absolutely absurd and completely false.”
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Gates said 2014 was the last year he met with Epstein, and that he never visited Epstein’s private island, though he did fly on a private jet with him and met in Washington, New York, Germany and France.
Gates also acknowledged that his ex-wife Melinda French Gates “was always kind of skeptical about the Epstein thing.” The two divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. French Gates said on an NPR podcast earlier this month that she felt “an unbelievable sadness” about her former husband’s name appearing in the Epstein files.
A Gates Foundation spokesperson confirmed Gates held a scheduled town hall and “answered questions submitted by foundation staff on a range of issues,” adding that “Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions.”
The town hall came amid heightened scrutiny following the release of millions of pages of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The Gates Foundation is one of the world’s largest funders of global health initiatives.
