Bill Gates Admits Affairs, Apologises to Staff Over Epstein Links: Report

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has expressed regret to staff at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation over his past associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, while insisting he engaged in no unlawful conduct, according to a media report.

In an account published by The Wall Street Journal, Gates acknowledged errors in judgment that he said had cast a shadow over the foundation’s work. He reportedly admitted to having had two relationships with Russian women, which Epstein later became aware of, but maintained that the affairs did not involve any of Epstein’s victims.

“I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” Gates said during a town hall meeting, as cited by the newspaper, which reviewed a recording of the session. He added that photographs appearing in documents released from the so-called Epstein files were taken at Epstein’s request and involved his staff.

“To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him,” Gates was quoted as saying.

The report comes after the U.S. Justice Department last month released a large set of materials related to Epstein, including emails, interview records, and call logs. Gates was among numerous public figures whose names appeared in the documents.

Gates described his interactions with Epstein as a “huge mistake,” acknowledging that he met the financier in 2011, several years after Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea. He admitted that he did not adequately scrutinize Epstein’s background despite being aware of legal restrictions that had limited Epstein’s travel.

The Journal reported that Gates continued meeting Epstein even after concerns were raised by his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, in 2013. Gates has previously said he was “foolish” to have spent time with Epstein, noting that he had hoped the relationship might advance global health initiatives.

“I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,” Gates said, reiterating that the controversy runs counter to the foundation’s values and mission.

A spokesperson for the foundation said Gates “spoke candidly” with employees and “took responsibility for his actions.”