Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates publicly addressed his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein this week following the Department of Justice’s release of more than three million Epstein-related documents and media files. Gates, 70, described his past meetings with Epstein as a mistake and expressed regret in an interview with Australia’s 9News that aired Wednesday, responding to details emerging in the newly disclosed files.
Gates said he first met Epstein in 2011, several years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a minor, and described his rationale as seeking connections for philanthropic fundraising efforts through the Gates Foundation.
“Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologize that I did that,” Gates said, adding, “In retrospect, that was a dead end, and I was foolish to spend time with him.”
He denied assertions in the documents that he visited Epstein’s private island or had inappropriate interactions with women, describing such accounts as untrue and unsupported by evidence.
The DOJ’s release does not allege criminal activity by Gates, and being named in the files does not equate to indictment or conviction. The cache includes emails, images and communications involving other high-profile individuals whose names have drawn public attention but not legal charges. Among them are Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Elon Musk and others, each mentioned in varying contexts that range from photographs and social interactions to email exchanges with Epstein or his associates.
Gates’ comments followed remarks from his ex-wife Melinda French Gates, who has characterized the association with Epstein as a painful chapter and said questions about it should be addressed by those directly involved, including her former husband. She described her own reaction as one of “unbelievable sadness” upon learning of allegations surfaced in the files.
The ongoing public debate over the Epstein files has seen political figures call for further scrutiny, with some lawmakers urging testimony from those named in the documents, even as officials emphasize that inclusion in the files does not by itself prove wrongdoing.