Bill Gates town hall: bill gates 'took responsibility' over Epstein ties

bill gates told Gates Foundation staff he "took responsibility for his actions" and addressed his links to Jeffrey Epstein at a scheduled town hall, the foundation said. The 70-year-old apologised to employees, acknowledged two affairs with Russian women that Epstein later learned about, and insisted he "did nothing illicit. "

Bill Gates addresses staff

The Gates Foundation said the event was a scheduled town hall that the co‑founder holds twice a year. A foundation spokesperson said, "Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, " and that in the conversation Gates took responsibility for his actions. Foundation staff submitted questions spanning the release of Epstein files, the foundation's work in AI, and the future of global health.

Acknowledgement of affairs

Gates apologised to staff and acknowledged having two affairs while married to his then wife, Melinda French Gates. He said the relationships were with a Russian bridge player and a Russian nuclear physicist. The bridge player has been identified in materials as Mila Antonova. Gates said Epstein later learned about those affairs. Material from the files indicates Epstein tried to use knowledge of an alleged affair to press Gates after failing to recruit him for a large charity fund; "the tone of the message was that Epstein knew about the affair and could expose it, " the records show.

Timeline of meetings with Epstein

Gates told staff he first met Epstein in 2011, years after Epstein had pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution. Gates said he was aware of some "18‑month thing" tied to Epstein's sentence that had limited Epstein's travel, but that he did not properly check Epstein's background. Emails and other files show the pair met regularly from 2011 through 2014 and exchanged correspondence after that; Gates said he did not respond to later messages. Gates said he met Epstein on several occasions, spent time with him abroad, but "never stayed overnight" and never visited Epstein's island.

Files, images and denials

Documents released by the US Department of Justice in January included images and emails that have drawn renewed scrutiny. Some files contain images of Gates with women whose faces are redacted; Gates said those were pictures Epstein asked him to take with his assistants after meetings. The materials also contain allegations that Gates contracted a sexually transmitted infection and sought antibiotics to surreptitiously give to his then‑wife; Gates has denied that allegation. The Gates Foundation has described the allegation as "absolutely absurd and completely false. "

Gates told staff, "I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit, " and emphasised, "To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him. " He called it a "huge mistake to spend time with Epstein" and apologised: "I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made. " An image released from the files by a congressional committee in December last year has also been publicly circulated.

Charity pitches and contacts

Files and emails suggest Epstein told Gates he had links to other billionaires and that he could help raise money for charitable causes Gates worked on. Early correspondence shows Epstein tried to involve Gates in planning a charity fund with JPMorgan Chase and other wealthy donors. In an early exchange after their first meeting, Gates wrote he had "ended up staying there quite late, " and described Epstein's lifestyle as "very different and kind of intriguing although it would not work for me. "

Personal fallout and ex‑wife reaction

Gates established the philanthropic organisation alongside his then wife, Melinda French Gates. The couple divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. In an interview on a podcast earlier this month, Melinda said the latest release of files had dredged up "painful times in my marriage. " Gates has not been accused of wrongdoing by any of Epstein's victims, and no documents allege he participated in or had knowledge of Epstein's alleged sex trafficking; Gates has maintained the relationship was related to business and charity.

Closing: The foundation described the town hall as a planned employee meeting in which Gates answered questions on a range of issues, spoke candidly, and took responsibility for his actions. The dispute over his association with Epstein continues to revolve around files released by the Department of Justice and material made public late last year and in January.