Bill Gates apologizes for connections with Jeffrey Epstein
Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates has apologized to the staff of his foundation for his connections with pedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, acknowledging that he tarnished the organization’s reputation. Gates, however, distanced himself from Epstein’s criminal acts.
Epstein died by suicide in custody in 2019 after years of sexually trafficking girls for political and business elites on his private island, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.
“I apologize to the other people who were affected because of the mistake I made,” Gates said at a public foundation meeting, according to a recording obtained by The Wall Street Journal.
“It was a big mistake to spend time with Epstein,” Gates added, also apologizing for bringing foundation directors to meetings with the convicted sex offender.
Gates admitted to extramarital affairs with two Russian women who had contact with Epstein, but stressed that they were not part of Epstein’s victim network.
“I did nothing illegal. I didn’t see anything illegal,” Gates said. He added that recent images published alongside other case documents—showing him with women whose faces were blurred to protect their identity—correspond to photos Epstein requested to be taken with his assistants after meetings.
“To be clear, I never spent time with the victims, the women around Epstein,” he insisted.
In a recent interview with Nine News Australia, Gates said he met Epstein in 2011 and had meals with him on several occasions, but denied visiting Epstein’s private island in the Virgin Islands.
Recent documents indicate that in 2013, Epstein himself sent emails implying Gates had extramarital affairs with Russian women and contracted a sexually transmitted disease, which he allegedly tried to secretly treat in Gates’ wife, Melinda, whom Gates later divorced in 2021.
Gates claims Epstein likely intended to frame or blackmail him, as those emails were never sent. Nevertheless, he admitted to continuing to meet with Epstein until 2014, long after Epstein pled guilty in 2008 for soliciting sexual services from a minor and after Gates’ wife expressed concern about his association with Epstein.
