New York, Feb 25: American tech entrepreneur Bill Gates has issued a formal apology to the staff of the Gates Foundation, describing his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as a “huge mistake.” During a town hall meeting on Tuesday, the Microsoft co-founder addressed recent disclosures from the U.S. Justice Department’s “Epstein files,” asserting that while he maintained ties with Epstein, he was never involved in any illicit activities.
The philanthropist stated that his connection to Epstein had negatively impacted the reputation of his global health foundation. According to a recording reviewed by media outlets, Gates acknowledged that his decision to meet with the sex offender continued even after his former wife, Melinda French Gates, expressed skepticism and concern regarding the relationship in 2013.
“I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” Gates asserted, clarifying that images showing him with women in the recently released documents were taken with Epstein’s assistants at the sex offender’s request. He further maintained that he never spent time with Epstein’s victims or visited his private island.
During the session, Gates also disclosed that he had engaged in two affairs with Russian women—one a bridge player and the other a nuclear physicist. He noted that although Epstein later discovered these relationships, they did not involve any of Epstein’s victims. Gates admitted that he failed to properly investigate Epstein’s background, despite knowing of his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.
“I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,” Gates declared, adding that he realized his association helped Epstein burnish his own public image.
