Bill Gates acknowledged his responsibility for his past actions and addressed his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a recent meeting with staff from his charitable foundation, according to a statement from the organization.
“Bill spoke openly, addressing numerous questions in depth,” the Gates Foundation reported.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) noted that Gates expressed regret to his staff, revealing he had two affairs with Russian women that Epstein later discovered. In reference to Epstein, he stated, “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit.”
Gates has faced renewed scrutiny regarding his relationship with Epstein following the release of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice in January.
At 70 years old, Gates has not faced accusations of wrongdoing from any of Epstein’s victims.
According to the WSJ, Gates described his decision to spend time with Epstein as a “huge mistake,” while emphasizing he “never spent any time with victims, the women around him.”
“I apologize to others who were drawn into this because of the mistake I made,” he told the staff, as reported by the U.S. newspaper, which reviewed a recording of his remarks.
The report indicated that Gates clarified that photographs of him with women, whose faces were redacted, included in the Epstein files were taken at Epstein’s request after their meetings.
Gates recounted meeting Epstein in 2011—years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution—acknowledging he was aware of some restrictions on Epstein’s travel but admitted he did not conduct a thorough background check.
He continued to meet Epstein until 2014 and traveled with him internationally, though he noted he “never stayed overnight” or visited Epstein’s island.
The relationship persisted even after his ex-wife expressed concerns, with Gates acknowledging, “To give her credit, she was always kind of skeptical about the Epstein situation.”
Epstein suggested he had connections with other billionaires and could assist in raising funds for Gates’s charitable endeavors, according to the report.
A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation clarified, “This was a scheduled town hall with employees, which Bill conducts biannually. During the conversation, Bill answered questions submitted by foundation staff on various topics, including the Epstein files, the foundation’s work in AI, and the future of global health. Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and accepted responsibility for his actions.”
Gates founded his philanthropic organization alongside his then-wife, Melinda French Gates. They divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage.
In a recent interview with an NPR podcast, Melinda shared that the latest file releases brought back “painful times in my marriage.” She expressed relief at being distanced from “all the muck,” stating, “Whatever questions remain—I can’t even begin to know all of it—those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me.”
U.S. media outlets have reported that Melinda was upset about her husband’s association with Epstein prior to their separation. Following the announcement of their split, Gates acknowledged having had an affair with a Microsoft employee in 2019.
In his remarks to staff, Gates stated he met the two women with whom he had affairs through his own social and professional activities.
This follows claims made in emails drafted by Epstein in July 2013, contained in the recently released files, alleging that Gates contracted a sexually transmitted infection and attempted to conceal it from Melinda. Gates’s spokesperson has previously dismissed this claim as “absolutely absurd and completely false.”
One draft email, presented as a resignation letter from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, complained about having to procure medicine for Gates “to deal with the consequences of sex with Russian girls.”
While Gates acknowledges that engaging with Epstein was a significant error in judgment, he firmly denies any improper conduct related to Epstein and the reprehensible activities he was involved in, according to his representatives.
In an interview with Australian outlet 9News earlier this year, Gates described his interactions with Epstein as limited to dinners and expressed regret for “every minute” he spent with him, stating, “I apologize that I did that.”
In a previous statement responding to the latest release of Epstein files, the Gates Foundation clarified that “a small number of foundation employees interacted” with Epstein based on his claims of being able to “mobilize significant philanthropic resources.” Ultimately, the foundation did not pursue any collaboration with Epstein, no funds were ever created, and at no point did the foundation make financial payments to Epstein or employ him.
