Bill Gates Apologizes in Foundation Town Hall, Says He 'Did Nothing Illicit' Over Epstein Ties
At a foundation town hall on Tuesday, bill gates told staff he had “taken responsibility for his actions, ” apologised for his association with Jeffrey Epstein and denied any illicit conduct. The remarks come as files released by the US Department of Justice this January have reignited scrutiny of his meetings with the late financier.
Town hall with Gates Foundation staff
The meeting, one of the twice-yearly town halls the foundation holds, was described by a foundation spokesperson as a scheduled session in which Bill spoke candidly and answered questions submitted by employees on a range of issues, including the release of the Epstein files, the foundation's work in AI and the future of global health. A recording of the town hall contains Gates's apology: “I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made. ”
Timeline of meetings with Jeffrey Epstein
Gates said he first met Jeffrey Epstein in 2011 — years after Epstein had pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution — and continued to meet him through 2014. He acknowledged awareness of an “18-month thing” that had limited Epstein’s travel but said he did not properly check Epstein’s background. Gates said he spent time with Epstein abroad, but “never stayed overnight” and did not visit Epstein’s island.
Bill Gates addresses affairs with Russian women
Gates acknowledged two affairs with Russian women, saying one involved a bridge player he met at bridge events and the other a Russian nuclear physicist encountered through business activities. He said Epstein later learned of those affairs. The former Microsoft co-founder, now 70, rejected any suggestion of criminal involvement and stated, “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit. ”
Files, images and an alleged extortion attempt
The Department of Justice files released in January included images of Gates with women whose faces were redacted; Gates said Epstein had asked him to take those photos with his assistants after their meetings. The files also included emails that Epstein had written to himself alleging Gates contracted a sexually transmitted infection and requested antibiotics to give surreptitiously to his then-wife; Gates has denied that allegation. Separately, Epstein is said to have tried to extort Gates over the alleged affair with the bridge player, identified by name as Mila Antonova, after failing to persuade Gates to join a multibillion charity fund Epstein was promoting. The tone of the message was that Epstein knew about the affair and could expose it.
Reputational impact and family reaction
Gates told staff the relationship with Epstein was “the opposite of the values of the Foundation, ” noting that the foundation’s work is reputationally sensitive and that “people can choose to work with us or not work with us. ” He said other prestigious figures attended meetings with Epstein, which made it feel normalized. The philanthropic organisation was founded with his then-wife Melinda French Gates; the couple divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. Melinda has said the latest release of files dredged up “painful times in my marriage. ”
What makes this notable is the convergence of a DOJ file release, redacted images circulated by congressional committees and internal questioning at a major philanthropic institution — events that prompted a direct acknowledgement by Gates and specific disclosures about both personal relationships and the scope of his contacts with Epstein. The timing matters because the material newly in the public record has led foundation staff to press for answers about reputation, governance and the vetting of external contacts.
The foundation reiterated that the town hall is part of its regular employee engagement and that Bill addressed several questions in detail and took responsibility for his actions. Gates also told staff he never spent time with Epstein’s victims and emphasised Epstein had presented himself as someone with fundraising links to other wealthy individuals who could assist causes like global health.
