Bill Gates took responsibility over Epstein ties in foundation town hall

At a scheduled foundation town hall, bill gates addressed his past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, apologised to staff and said he took responsibility for his actions. The disclosures — including admissions of two affairs and repeated denials of illicit behaviour — have intensified scrutiny after newly released files and images emerged.

Foundation town hall: candid answers and formal statement

The meeting with staff was a scheduled town hall that the foundation holds twice a year, and a foundation spokesperson said Bill spoke candidly, answering submitted questions on topics ranging from the release of the Epstein files to the foundation's work in AI and the future of global health. The spokesperson said Bill took responsibility for his actions and addressed several questions in detail.

Bill Gates apologises to staff and denies illicit conduct

Gates apologised directly to employees, saying, "I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made. " He also insisted more than once that he had not engaged in illegal behaviour, saying, "I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit. " He added, "To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him. " A recording of his remarks was reviewed.

Admissions: two affairs named, one woman identified

In the town hall Gates acknowledged two affairs with Russian women: one with a Russian bridge player who met him at bridge events and another with a Russian nuclear physicist he met through business activities. The bridge player was named as Mila Antonova. Files that have circulated include images of Gates with women whose faces are redacted; Gates said Epstein had asked him to take those pictures with his assistants after meetings.

Timeline of meetings and what the files revealed

Gates said he first met Epstein in 2011 — years after Epstein had pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution — and that the meetings continued through 2014. He said he was aware of some "18-month thing" that had limited Epstein's travel but acknowledged he did not properly check Epstein's background. Gates said he spent time with Epstein abroad but "never stayed overnight" or visited Epstein's island. The files released by the US Department of Justice in January included emails and images; an image from the files was released by the US House Oversight Committee in December.

Extortion claim, fundraising pitch and the wider network Epstein described

Gates said Epstein told him he had links with other billionaires and suggested he could help raise money for charitable causes like global health. Gates also said Epstein spoke about the "intimate relationship he had with a lot of billionaires, particularly Wall Street billionaires. " Epstein later tried to exert pressure over the alleged affair with the bridge player after Gates declined to join a multibillion charity fund Epstein sought to establish; the tone of the message, as described by those involved, suggested Epstein knew about the affair and could expose it. Gates said bringing foundation executives to meetings with Epstein was a "huge mistake. "

Personal and reputational fallout: family and foundation concerns

Gates, the Microsoft co-founder who is 70, established the philanthropic organisation with his then wife, Melinda French Gates. The couple divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. In a podcast interview earlier this month Melinda said the latest release of files had dredged up "painful times in my marriage. " Gates told staff that the relationship with Epstein was "the opposite of the values of the Foundation and the goals of the Foundation, " and warned that "our work is very reputational sensitive. I mean, people can choose to work with us or not work with us. " He has not been accused of wrongdoing by any of Epstein's victims.