'Every Minute I Spent With Him, I Regret': Bill Gates Faces Fresh Epstein Questions as Investigators Examine Years of Ties

A scheduled Capitol Hill interrogation on Wednesday, 10 June, will see Bill Gates address his past links to Jeffrey Epstein—an association that has long driven intense public speculation due to the late criminal's ties to elite global figures.

A closed-door session with the House Oversight Committee will see the billionaire philanthropist address his history with the disgraced financier, who took his own life in a New York prison back in 2019 before he could be tried for running a sex trafficking ring involving minors.

Oversight Committee Expands Elite Inquiry

The committee called the billionaire forward because newly released Justice Department files threw a fresh spotlight on his history with Epstein. This follows a broader push by lawmakers, who have already brought several other elite figures in for questioning, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

In an AFP statement, a representative for Gates conveyed that the billionaire embraced the opportunity to address the panel, while firmly maintaining that he was 'never witnessed or participated in Epstein's illegal conduct.'

Unsealed Files Reveal Email Allegations

Among the unsealed evidence is a 2013 email draft where the financier hinted at helping the billionaire handle the consequences of outside relationships, even claiming to have sought out antibiotics following a sexually transmitted infection.

Dismissing the email as a fabrication, Gates rejected the claims outright. He previously admitted to Australian broadcasters that crossing paths with Epstein was 'foolish,' though he insisted their acquaintance had absolutely nothing to do with the financier's crimes.

'Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologize that I did that... It's factually true that I was only at dinners. I never went to (his) island, I never met any women,' he said. It is worth noting that merely having one's name show up in the Epstein files does not mean they are guilty of any wrongdoing.

Marital Tensions and Relationship Timeline

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Gates admitted to his foundation team that he had relationships with two Russian women, though he firmly rejected any suggestion that he spent time with Epstein's victims. He noted that their acquaintance did not start until 2011, which was three years after Epstein had already pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting an underage girl for prostitution.

The billionaire reportedly admitted that his wife at the time, Melinda French Gates, raised serious concerns about Epstein back in 2013, yet he kept seeing him for at least another twelve months. His former wife, who ended their marriage in 2021, has made it clear that any lingering questions about that association are for her ex-husband and the others involved to address.

Reviewing the Government Case File

The House Oversight Committee's inquiry into Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell forms part of a sweeping review of the federal government's original handling of the case and the contents of its internal files.

US President Donald Trump, who also maintained a long-standing association with Epstein, originally pushed back against unsealing the records, sparking allegations of a cover-up that plagued his first year back in the White House.

Behind Closed Doors with Legal Insiders

Democrats plan to focus their questioning on the depth of the billionaire's relationship with Epstein and what he knew about his illicit operations. However, this session will skip the cameras, departing from the recorded format used for previous high-profile witnesses.

According to US media reports, Gates brought in former Justice Department lawyer John Moran to represent him, and even had Jake Greenberg—a former top investigator for the Oversight Committee itself—help prepare him for the questioning. While ethics experts noted that hiring someone from the very committee investigating you looks bad, they pointed out it doesn't actually break any rules.