BY MIRABLE ODETA
Bill Gates said he “took responsibility for his actions” regarding his past association with late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a recent town hall meeting with employees of the Gates Foundation, according to a spokesperson for the philanthropic organization. The comments followed a report by The Wall Street Journal stating that Gates apologized to staff during the internal meeting for his connections to Epstein.
The spokesperson confirmed that Gates held a previously scheduled town hall where he addressed employee questions on a variety of topics, including the recent public release of additional documents related to Epstein. “In the town hall, Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions,” the spokesperson said in a written statement. The foundation indicated that this statement reflects all it intends to say regarding the matter.
According to the Journal’s report, which cited a recording of Gates’ remarks, the Microsoft co-founder described spending time with Epstein as a “huge mistake” and acknowledged that he should not have involved Gates Foundation executives in meetings with him. Gates reportedly told employees, “I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,” expressing regret for the broader impact of his decisions on colleagues and the organization.
Documents recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice show that Gates and Epstein met multiple times after Epstein had served a prison sentence related to sex offenses. The meetings reportedly focused on philanthropic initiatives and discussions about expanding global health and development efforts associated with the foundation. Gates has previously maintained that his interactions with Epstein were limited to philanthropy-related conversations and has consistently said that meeting with him was an error in judgment.
The Journal also reported that Gates acknowledged during the town hall that he had two affairs with Russian women, which Epstein later learned about, but emphasized that these relationships did not involve any of Epstein’s victims. “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” Gates told staff, according to the recording cited by the newspaper. He further stated, “To be clear I never spent any time with victims, the women around him.”
Among the materials released by the Justice Department were photographs of the Microsoft founder posing with women whose faces were redacted. Gates reportedly told foundation employees that the images were taken at Epstein’s request, often with assistants present after meetings. He said the photographs did not depict any inappropriate conduct and reiterated that he had no involvement with victims connected to Epstein.
Earlier this month, the Gates Foundation stated publicly that it had never made financial payments to Epstein and had never employed him in any capacity. The organization has sought to distance itself from the disgraced financier amid renewed scrutiny following the release of federal documents.
Separately, Gates withdrew from speaking at India’s AI Impact Summit shortly before he had been scheduled to deliver a keynote address last week. No formal connection between that decision and the renewed attention on his past ties to Epstein has been confirmed.
Founded in 2000 by Bill Gates and his then-wife, the Gates Foundation has grown into one of the largest private philanthropic organizations in the world, funding global health, poverty alleviation, education, and development initiatives. The recent town hall appears to have been part of an effort to address internal concerns directly as external scrutiny surrounding Epstein’s network and associations continues.
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