Bill Gates acknowledged mistakes over his past association with late financier Jeffrey Epstein during a town hall meeting with employees of the Gates Foundation.
The statement followed a report by The Wall Street Journal, which said Gates apologized to staff for meeting Epstein after the financier had served a prison term.
According to documents released by the US Department of Justice, Gates and Epstein met multiple times to discuss philanthropic initiatives linked to the Microsoft co-founder’s charitable work.
Gates calls meetings a ‘huge mistake’
During the town hall, Gates reportedly described spending time with Epstein as a “huge mistake” and apologized to colleagues drawn into the controversy. He said he did nothing illicit and did not witness unlawful conduct. The Journal reported that Gates also addressed past personal relationships, stating they did not involve Epstein’s victims.
Furthermore, DOJ files included photographs of Gates with women whose identities were redacted. Gates told staff that Epstein had requested the photos with assistants after meetings. He emphasized that he never interacted with victims.
A foundation spokesperson said Gates answered questions candidly and took responsibility for his actions. However, the organization declined further comment beyond confirming the town hall discussion.
Foundation reiterates no financial ties
Earlier this month, the Gates Foundation stated it never made payments to Epstein nor employed him. The charity, launched in 2000 by Gates and his then-wife, remains one of the world’s largest funders of global health initiatives.
Meanwhile, Gates recently withdrew from India’s AI Impact Summit hours before his scheduled keynote appearance, though no direct link to the controversy was cited.
