Bill Gates told staff at his charitable foundation that he took responsibility for his actions and addressed questions about his past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, according to statements from the Gates Foundation and reporting by The Wall Street Journal. The comments came amid renewed scrutiny following the release of US Department of Justice files in January, while Gates has not been accused of wrongdoing by any of Epstein’s victims.
Town Hall And Foundation Statement
A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation said the discussion took place during a scheduled town hall with employees, which Gates holds twice a year. The spokesperson said Gates answered questions submitted by staff on several topics, including the release of the Epstein files, the foundation’s work in AI, and the future of global health. The statement said that during the meeting, Gates spoke candidly, addressed several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions.
Reported Apology And Remarks To Staff
The Wall Street Journal reported that Gates apologised to staff and said he had two affairs with Russian women, which Epstein later found out about. According to the newspaper, Gates said of Epstein, “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit.” The Journal said it reviewed a recording of Gates’s remarks and reported that he described it as a “huge mistake to spend time with Epstein,” while also saying he “never spent any time with victims, the women around him.” The paper reported that Gates told staff, “I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made.”
Meetings With Epstein And Timeline
According to the report, Gates told staff that he met Epstein in 2011, years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. He said he was aware of what he described as an “18-month thing” that had limited Epstein’s travel, but said he did not properly check Epstein’s background. He continued to meet Epstein through 2014 and spent time with him abroad, according to the Journal, while also saying he never stayed overnight with Epstein or visited Epstein’s island. The report said the relationship continued even after his ex-wife expressed doubts, with Gates quoted as saying, “To give her credit, she was always kind of sceptical about the Epstein thing.” The paper reported that Epstein told Gates he had links with other billionaires and suggested he could help raise money for charitable causes Gates was involved in.
Images And Files Released In January
The Journal reported that Gates told staff that images of him with women, whose faces were redacted, that appeared in the files released in January were pictures Epstein asked him to take with his assistants after meetings. The latest scrutiny follows the release of those US Department of Justice files, which brought renewed attention to Epstein’s contacts.
Claims And Denials
The situation also follows claims made in emails drafted by Epstein in July 2013 and included in the files released in January. Those emails claimed that Gates contracted a sexually transmitted infection and tried to hide it, including from his then wife, Melinda French Gates. Gates’s spokesperson has previously called that claim “absolutely absurd and completely false.” One draft email is written as a resignation letter from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and complains about having had to procure medicine for Gates “in order to deal with the consequences of sex with Russian girls.” At the time, a spokesperson said, “While Mr Gates acknowledges that meeting with Epstein was a serious error in judgment, he unequivocally denies any improper conduct related to Epstein and the horrible activities in which Epstein was involved.”
Position Of The Gates Foundation
In a separate statement shared previously in response to the latest batch of Epstein files, the Gates Foundation said that “a small number of foundation employees interacted” with Epstein on the basis that he claimed to be able to “mobilise significant philanthropic resources.” The foundation said it did not pursue any collaboration with Epstein, that no fund was ever created, that no financial payments were made to Epstein, and that Epstein was never employed by the foundation.
Melinda French Gates And Past Statements
Gates established the philanthropic organisation with his then wife, Melinda French Gates. They divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. In an interview with an NPR podcast earlier this month, she said the latest release of files dredged up “painful times in my marriage.” She said, “I am so happy to be away from all the muck,” and added elsewhere in the interview, “Whatever questions remain there of what, I can’t even begin to know all of it, those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me.” US media have reported that before their separation she had been upset about his association with Epstein. After their split was announced, Bill Gates acknowledged having had an affair with a Microsoft employee in 2019.
Other Public Comments By Gates
In his reported remarks to staff, Gates said he met the two women with whom he said he had affairs through his own social and business activities. He also said in an interview with Australian outlet 9News in February that his interactions with Epstein were limited to dinners and that he regretted “every minute” he spent with him. He said, “I apologise that I did that.”
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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