February 26, 2026 | 08:17 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Bill Gates has acknowledged making a "huge mistake" in maintaining contacts with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, telling staff he takes responsibility for his actions.
A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation said Gates addressed the issue during a town hall meeting with employees, speaking candidly after the release of US Justice Department documents related to Epstein that mentioned him.
What did Bill Gates tell his employees?
According to a Wall Street Journal report citing a recording of the meeting, Gates apologized for spending time with Epstein and for involving foundation executives in meetings with him.
"I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made," Gates told staff, according to the report.
Gates said he had two affairs with Russian women but denied any involvement in Epstein's crimes or contact with victims, telling employees, "I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit."
The meetings with Epstein had been to discuss philanthropy, Gates said, to raise more money for issues like global health.
Gates said his relationship with Epstein began in 2011 — three years after the late financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. The tech entrepreneur said he knew of an "18-month thing" placing restrictions on Epstein's travel, but that he did not check his background.
Gates said that, although his then-wife Melinda expressed concerns about Epstein in 2013, he continued the relationship for at least another year.
"Knowing what I know now makes it, you know, a hundred times worse in terms of not only his crimes in the past, but now it's clear there was ongoing bad behavior," Gates told staff.
What more do we know about Gates' ties to Epstein?
Justice Department documents indicate Gates and Epstein met multiple times after Epstein's prison sentence to discuss philanthropic initiatives. Images included in the files show Gates posing with women whose identities were redacted.
Gates last week cancelled an appearance at an artificial intelligence summit in India in light of the recent disclosures.
A previous Wall Street Journal report said that Epstein discovered that Gates had an affair with one of the Russian women and appeared to have used his knowledge to threaten the Microsoft founder.
The Gates Foundation said no financial payments were ever made to Epstein and that he was never employed by the organization.
Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The Gates Foundation, founded in 2000, remains one of the world's largest funders of global health programs.
Read: Bill Gates Addresses Epstein Files, Admits to Affairs
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