Bill Gates gave a nervous chuckle while denying that he ever visited Jeffrey Epstein’s notorious private island, despite maintaining a relationship with the disgraced financier for years.
The Microsoft co-founder addressed Epstein, artificial intelligence and other subjects during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press that aired Sunday.
Gates appeared visibly uncomfortable as journalist Kristen Welker questioned him about his connection to Epstein, at times stumbling over his words and laughing nervously.
“I really appreciated the opportunity to go before Congress and make it clear—and go through every meeting I had with him, which was about 10 meetings over a couple of years,” Gates told Welker.
In June, Gates gave a closed-door deposition to the House Oversight Committee about his dealings with Epstein.
He continued: “There were never any women in those meetings. There was nothing financial. I never went to the island or anything like that.”
“So, if people are curious about that, I encourage them to read [the testimony]. I was there to answer any question people had,” Gates added.
The island Gates referenced was Epstein’s secluded Caribbean property, widely described as “pedophile island” because of allegations involving the trafficking and abuse of underage girls and women.
The Microsoft co-founder appeared nervous and laughed as he was questioned about Jeffrey Epstein during a recent Meet the Press interview.
Gates denied visiting Epstein’s infamous private island, where lawsuits, federal investigations and witness testimony alleged that the convicted sex offender trafficked, abused and exploited underage girls and women.
Federal investigations, civil lawsuits and accounts from multiple victims have alleged that Epstein used the property to traffic, abuse and exploit underage girls and women.
Epstein was found hanging in his federal jail cell in 2019. Before his death, he had developed relationships with numerous influential figures, including Gates.
Gates, now 70, continued associating with Epstein for years, including after Epstein had been identified as a registered sex offender.
Following Epstein’s death, Gates apologized repeatedly for the relationship. During his congressional appearance, he also said he wished the two men had never met.
Before that testimony, reports had emerged alleging that Gates had sexual relationships with Russian women, contracted a sexually transmitted infection and considered secretly giving antibiotics to his then-wife, Melinda French Gates.
The extraordinary allegations, published January 30, came from emails Epstein wrote to himself on July 18, 2013.
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After the claims became public, Gates held a private town hall for employees of the Gates Foundation, one of the world’s largest private philanthropic organizations. Melinda French Gates stepped down as the foundation’s co-chair in 2024.
At the closed-door meeting, known internally as “BG Unplugged,” Gates reportedly acknowledged having two affairs with the Russian women referenced in Epstein’s correspondence, according to The Wall Street Journal.
During the Meet the Press interview, Gates also accused Epstein of using their relationship to enhance his own public standing.
Gates, 70, remained connected to Epstein for years despite Epstein’s status as a registered sex offender.
During his Meet the Press interview, Gates also accused Epstein of using their friendship to build his own reputation.
‘I was told by Jeffrey after I met him that he could help raise billions of dollars for global health – you know, he wouldn’t be paid, he would have no role.
‘That proved to be a complete dead end. So my spending time with him, like many other people, kind of helped his reputation. You know, that’s very regrettable,’ he said.
French Gates has also spoken out about her ex-husband’s ties to Epstein, and shared a chilling encounter she had with the pedophile.
In a candid interview with The Guardian in June, the billionaire philanthropist opened up about her painful divorce from Gates, her horror after meeting Epstein and her determination to use her vast fortune to transform women’s healthcare.
While discussing Epstein, the 61-year-old became visibly emotional when asked what about him disturbed her so deeply when she met him.
‘My heart is racing,’ she said, before asking a striking question of her own.
‘Have you ever in your life been around somebody that you just know is evil?
Amid the fallout from the Epstein Files release, Bill Gates and his ex-wife Melinda French Gates’ marriage fell apart. She has openly spoken out about ‘evil’ Epstein
‘There you go. You just have your answer. We need to listen to our feelings about people,’ she told the outlet.
Amid the fallout from the Epstein Files release, their marriage fell apart following Gates’s extramarital affairs.
Gates has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein and says he never witnessed any criminal activity, but conceded that his friendship with the pedophile was a ‘grave error in judgment.’
