Billionaire Philanthropist Bill Gates Apologises Over Ties to Jeffrey Epstein

Bill Gates publicly addressed his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a town hall meet with staff at his charitable foundation. The Microsoft co-founder 'acknowledged his actions' and spoke openly about the controversies surrounding the relationship, the organisation confirmed, per a BBC report.

'Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail,' the Gates Foundation said in a statement.

Apology and Clarification

According to The Guardian cited from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Gates apologised to staff and admitted to two affairs with Russian women that later Epstein became known of. In his remarks he said, 'I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit.'

The 70-year-old philanthropist, who has not been accused of wrongdoing by any of Epstein's victims, described his time with Epstein as a 'huge mistake' but insisted he 'never spent any time with victims, the women around him.'

'I apologize to others who were affected because of the mistake I made,' Gates said, according to the WSJ, which reviewed a recording of his remarks. He also explained that images of him with women in the so-called Epstein files—whose faces were redacted—were taken at Epstein's request with his assistants after meetings.

'To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him,' he emphasised. Gates acknowledged that the relationship was 'the opposite of the values of the Foundation and the goals of the Foundation,' adding: 'People can choose to work with us or not work with us,' highlighting the reputational sensitivity of his philanthropic work.

How the Relationship Began

Gates said he first met Epstein in 2011, three years after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. He admitted that he was aware of some '18-month thing,' referencing Epstein's sentence, but did not thoroughly investigate his background.

While Gates insisted he never interacted with Epstein's victims, he disclosed having affairs with two women he met through social and business activities: a Russian bridge player and a Russian nuclear physicist. According to the WSJ, Epstein later attempted to extort Gates over the alleged affair with the bridge player, Mila Antonova, after Gates refused to participate in a multibillion-dollar charity fund Epstein was promoting. 'The tone of the message was that Epstein knew about the affair and could expose it,' the report said.

Epstein's Influence and Public Perception

Gates also revealed that Epstein spoke about his intimate relationships with other billionaires, particularly on Wall Street, and suggested he could help raise funds for causes such as global health. Gates admitted that the presence of other prominent figures at Epstein's meetings 'made it easier for me to feel like this was a normalized situation.'

A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation reiterated that Gates holds town halls twice a year, 'spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions.'

Renewed Scrutiny

Gates's relationship with Epstein has faced new investigation following the US Department of Justice's release of files, which included emails Epstein wrote to himself claiming that Gates had contracted a sexually transmitted infection and requested antibiotics to secretly give to his then-wife, Melinda. Gates has denied these allegations.

Despite the controversy, Gates remains a leading figure in global health philanthropy. He used the town hall to clarify his position, apologise to those affected, and emphasise that his interactions with Epstein were limited and never involved victims.