Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has apologised to staff at his foundation over his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, admitting that spending time with him was a “huge mistake” that damaged the organisation’s reputation.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Gates made the remarks during an internal meeting, where he acknowledged that his judgment in maintaining contact with Epstein created negative perceptions about the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“It was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein,” Gates said, according to audio cited in the report. He added that he apologised to those affected by the fallout from his decision.
Gates maintained that he “did nothing illicit” and insisted he never spent time with Epstein’s victims or engaged in any wrongdoing. Addressing photographs that surfaced in newly disclosed documents, Gates said they were taken at Epstein’s request and involved members of Epstein’s office staff.
The Microsoft co-founder said he first met Epstein in 2011 and continued interactions through 2014, despite concerns raised by his then-wife, Melinda French Gates. He acknowledged that she had reservations about the association from early on and credited her instincts in hindsight.
Gates also revealed that his meetings with Epstein included travel and gatherings in countries such as Germany, France, and the United States. However, he stressed that he did not stay overnight at Epstein’s residences and never visited his private island.
He noted that the presence of other prominent individuals at events hosted by Epstein contributed to what he described as a false sense of legitimacy. Nevertheless, Gates conceded that the relationship, along with correspondence that later surfaced in official records, has cast a shadow over his foundation’s mission and principles.
Epstein died in custody in 2019 at a detention facility in New York while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. In 2008, he had pleaded guilty in the US state of Florida to soliciting prostitution from a minor.
