Bill Gates has publicly addressed his past associations with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, expressing regret over decisions that involved foundation executives in meetings with Epstein and acknowledging personal matters that became public in the context of their interactions.
During an internal town hall meeting with employees of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates said he took “responsibility for his actions” and described his involvement with Epstein as a “huge mistake.” His comments were reported by the Wall Street Journal based on a recording of the session. Gates said he regretted bringing foundation executives into meetings with Epstein and apologised to those drawn in because of his decisions.
“I apologise to other people who were drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,” Gates said, according to the news report. He underscored that his interactions with Epstein were meant to focus on discussions about philanthropic efforts, particularly global health and education initiatives. Gates has maintained in past statements that his relationship with Epstein did not extend beyond philanthropy related topics.
In the same remarks, Gates also acknowledged having had two personal relationships with Russian women years earlier. These affairs — revealed during the broader scrutiny of his links to Epstein — were described by Gates as matters that “Epstein later discovered.” He made it clear that these personal affairs did not involve any of Epstein’s victims or associates and were unrelated to any misconduct connected to Epstein’s criminal activities.
In recent years, released documents from the US Department of Justice have added detail to the narrative of Gates and Epstein interactions. These records indicated that Gates and Epstein met on multiple occasions following Epstein’s release from imprisonment, in discussions about expanding philanthropic collaboration. Some of the documents included photographs of Gates with women whose faces were redacted in the public release.
Gates has previously responded to questions about his relationship with Epstein, stating that the purpose of their meetings was to explore philanthropy and that he regretted any association given Epstein’s criminal history. Epstein was a convicted sex offender whose crimes and network of influence drew global scrutiny.
The public and media reaction to Gates remarks has been mixed, with some critics arguing that any engagement with Epstein was inappropriate given his convictions, while others have noted Gates willingness to address the issue directly in internal communication.
Experts on philanthropy and nonprofit governance have pointed to the episode as a reminder of reputational risks that high profile leaders and organisations face when considering associations with controversial figures, even in professional contexts.
Gates leadership at the foundation has prioritised global health, poverty alleviation and education initiatives for years, and he has previously stepped back from daily responsibilities to focus on strategic work through the foundation, as well as private ventures.
His latest statement on the matter reflects an attempt to confront issues that have been the subject of public and legal scrutiny, reaffirming that his interactions with Epstein did not involve any involvement with victims and reiterating regret for choices that put foundation personnel in contact with Epstein.
