Bill Gates recently acknowledged that he had two affairs with Russian women while married to Melinda French Gates. He also apologized to employees at the Gates Foundation for his past association with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender and financier. However, Gates stated that he was not involved in any illegal activity.
During a town hall meeting with foundation staff on Feb. 24, Gates said, “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” according to a recording reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
A spokesperson for Gates explained that the meeting was a regularly scheduled town hall that Gates holds twice a year. During the discussion, Gates answered employee questions on various topics, including the release of Epstein-related documents, artificial intelligence, and the future of global health. The spokesperson added that Gates spoke openly and accepted responsibility for his past actions.
Public attention has again focused on Gates’ relationship with Epstein after the U.S. Justice Department released documents containing draft emails written by Epstein. In those drafts, Epstein made claims about Gates that Gates’ representatives previously described as “absolutely absurd and completely false.”
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At the meeting, Gates confirmed that he had affairs with two Russian women: one described as a bridge player he met at bridge events, and another identified as a nuclear physicist he met through business activities. Gates said that Epstein later became aware of these relationships.
Gates told employees that he never spent time with Epstein’s victims. He also described his interactions with Epstein as a “huge mistake.” Gates said he met Epstein in 2011 and continued meeting with him until 2014, but stated that he never stayed overnight with Epstein or visited Epstein’s private island.
“I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,” Gates said.
Gates has previously explained that his meetings with Epstein were related to philanthropy. He said Epstein had connections with wealthy individuals and claimed he could help raise money for global health causes. Gates later described those efforts as unsuccessful.
Gates also admitted that he did not thoroughly investigate Epstein’s background. Reflecting on the situation, he said that what is now known about Epstein’s actions makes the association “a hundred times worse.”
During the town hall, Gates noted that Melinda French Gates had been skeptical of Epstein. He concluded by saying that the controversy has negatively affected the foundation’s reputation.
“It definitely is the opposite of the values of the foundation and the goals of the foundation,” Gates said. “And our work is very reputationally sensitive. People can choose to work with us or not work with us.”
