Bill Gates Addresses Staff on Epstein Ties, Admits Past Affairs

photo credit: The times of Israel

Bill Gates spoke openly to employees at a town hall meeting of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, responding to newly released documents detailing his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

According to a foundation spokesperson, Gates accepted responsibility for his actions during the session, which followed the U.S. Justice Department’s release of additional emails outlining his interactions with Epstein. The documents included exchanges related to philanthropic fundraising, global health initiatives, Microsoft’s CEO succession process and other matters.

In a recording of the meeting cited by The Wall Street Journal, Gates told staff he “did nothing illicit” in his dealings with Epstein and said he never stayed overnight at Epstein’s residences, though they met in several countries.

Gates also acknowledged having affairs with two Russian women – described as a bridge player and a nuclear physicist – and said his longtime associate, Boris Nikolic, had discussed those relationships with Epstein, according to the Journal. Gates and Melinda French Gates divorced in 2021 after years of jointly leading the foundation.

A representative of the foundation said Gates responded to pre-submitted staff questions on issues including the Epstein documents, the organisation’s work on artificial intelligence and the future of global health programmes. The spokesperson characterised his remarks as candid and detailed.

The foundation has previously stated that a limited number of staff interacted with Epstein because he claimed he could help mobilise philanthropic funding. It emphasised that no funds were ever transferred to Epstein and no joint initiative was established. The organisation also condemned the harm inflicted on women and girls as horrific.

The release of millions of pages of Justice Department records in January has had broader implications for public figures across politics, academia and business. Gates has repeatedly said meeting Epstein was a mistake. The foundation recently announced that he would no longer attend a planned artificial intelligence summit in India