In a recent town hall meeting at the Gates Foundation, Bill Gates candidly addressed his past associations with Jeffrey Epstein, acknowledging the regretful decision to engage with the disgraced financier. Gates openly admitted to having affairs with two Russian women, though he firmly clarified they were not among Epstein’s victims.
During the meeting, Gates expressed his remorse over the entire ordeal, particularly for involving foundation executives in interactions with Epstein. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Gates described his involvement with Epstein as a “huge mistake” and extended an apology to those affected by his actions. “I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,” Gates stated, as per an audio recording referenced by the Journal.
Gates provided more context during the discussion, detailing the nature of his interactions with the Russian women. He explained that one affair involved a Russian bridge player he encountered at bridge events, while the other was with a Russian nuclear physicist he met through business activities. Gates emphasized, “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” distancing himself from any illegal activities associated with Epstein.
This admission sheds light on Gates’s personal life and his past misjudgments, while also highlighting his efforts to address and rectify the repercussions of his associations with Epstein. The meeting served as a platform for Gates to confront these sensitive issues publicly, reaffirming his commitment to transparency and accountability.
During the town hall, Gates told employees: ‘I did have affairs, one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities.’
‘I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,’ he added.
A spokesperson for the philanthropic organisation confirmed the Microsoft founder had ‘taken responsibility for his actions’.
Previously released U.S. Department of Justice documents show Gates met Epstein repeatedly after the financier had served a prison sentence, with discussions said to have centred on expanding Gates’ philanthropic work.
The documents also included pictures of the Microsoft founder posing with women whose faces are redacted.
Bill Gates admitted having affairs with two Russian women and apologised to staff over his links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein during a town hall meeting. Pictured: Larry Summers, Jeffrey Epstein, Gates and Boris Nikolic at Epstein’s Manhattan house in 2011. This was among the three million files published by the DOJ
Russian bridge player Mila Antonova and Bill Gates in a photo she posted to the Contract Bridge Facebook page on August 14, 2009
The documents also included pictures of the Microsoft founder posing with women whose faces are redacted
The files included multiple new undated images of Epstein and Gates together
According to the Journal, Gates told the foundation’s staff that the images were pictures that Epstein asked him to take with Epstein’s assistants after their meetings.
‘To be clear I never spent any time with victims, the women around him,’ Gates added, according to the report.
Gates said he began meeting Epstein in 2011, several years after the financier’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.
He acknowledged he was aware Epstein had been subject to an 18-month period of travel restrictions but admitted he did not properly scrutinise his background.
He continued seeing him even after his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, raised concerns in 2013.
A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation told reporters that Gates held a scheduled town hall with the employees and answered questions on a range of issues, including the release of the Epstein files.
‘In the town hall, Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions.’
The spokesperson also said the Gates Foundation statement acknowledged what was shared by the billionaire during the town hall, and the statement is all that the foundation would say about the report.
Earlier this month, the Gates Foundation said it did not make any financial payments to Epstein or employ him at any time.
The billionaire also pulled out of India’s AI Impact Summit hours before his scheduled keynote last week.
The Gates Foundation, chaired by Bill Gates and started by him and his then-wife in 2000, is one of the world’s biggest funders of global health initiatives.
