Bill Gates Apologizes for Past Ties to Jeffrey Epstein, Denies Wrongdoing

SEATTLE — Bill Gates publicly apologized this week for maintaining contact with Jeffrey Epstein years after the financier’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor, calling the association “a huge mistake” while firmly denying any involvement in criminal conduct.

During an internal meeting on February 24, the Microsoft co-founder told employees that he “takes responsibility” for his decisions and acknowledged that the relationship damaged the reputation of the Gates Foundation, the global philanthropy he established. According to reporting that cited an audio recording of the session, Mr. Gates described his continued meetings with Epstein as a serious lapse in judgment.

“Spending time with Epstein was a very big mistake,” Mr. Gates said, adding that he regretted the impact his actions had on the foundation and on those affected by the controversy.

Epstein, who was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and later died in jail, had pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to a charge related to soliciting prostitution from a minor and served a controversial 18-month sentence with work-release privileges.

Documents previously released by the U.S. Department of Justice show that Mr. Gates met with Epstein multiple times beginning in 2011 — several years after the conviction — and continuing through approximately 2014. Mr. Gates acknowledged that he was aware of Epstein’s prior conviction but said he did not fully scrutinize the extent of his background or conduct at the time.

He confirmed that he met Epstein in New York and Washington and that he traveled on Epstein’s private aircraft. He denied ever staying overnight at Epstein’s properties or visiting the financier’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Mr. Gates said that Epstein had presented himself as well connected to wealthy donors and capable of helping mobilize support for philanthropic initiatives, particularly in global health. He acknowledged that the presence of prominent individuals in certain meetings contributed to what he described as a “normalized” perception of the situation.

In retrospect, Mr. Gates conceded that his association may have inadvertently lent credibility to Epstein.

“I did not see or participate in any wrongdoing,” Mr. Gates said during the meeting. “I did not witness anything improper.” He added that he never spent time with Epstein’s victims or with women connected to him in inappropriate contexts.

The episode has drawn renewed attention to Mr. Gates’s judgment during a period when Epstein was seeking to rebuild his reputation among elite circles. Several public figures, including academics, financiers and philanthropists, later faced scrutiny for maintaining contact with Epstein after his conviction.

Mr. Gates also noted that his former wife, Melinda French Gates, had expressed skepticism about Epstein as early as 2013. In prior public interviews, Ms. French Gates has described her own discomfort after meeting Epstein and said she regretted her former husband’s association with him.

A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation said Mr. Gates addressed staff questions directly and that the foundation has never provided funding to Epstein nor employed him in any capacity.

The foundation, one of the world’s largest private philanthropic organizations, has played a central role in global health initiatives, vaccine distribution and poverty reduction efforts. Its leaders have previously said that any interactions with Epstein were unrelated to foundation grants or official partnerships.

Mr. Gates’s remarks come as legal scrutiny of Epstein’s network continues to generate civil litigation and document releases years after his death. While Mr. Gates has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein’s activities, his meetings with the financier have been cited in court filings and media investigations.

Legal experts note that public figures are not legally liable simply for meeting individuals who later face criminal charges, absent evidence of knowledge or participation in unlawful conduct. However, reputational consequences can be significant, particularly when associations involve individuals convicted of crimes involving minors.

In his comments, Mr. Gates acknowledged that what he now knows about Epstein’s conduct makes his past interactions appear “far worse” in hindsight. He said that at the time he believed the meetings could advance philanthropic goals, but conceded that the decision reflected poor judgment.

No new legal proceedings related to Mr. Gates were announced in connection with the internal meeting. The disclosure nonetheless renews debate over the responsibilities of influential leaders when choosing professional or social associations.

For Mr. Gates, whose philanthropic legacy is closely tied to global public health and education initiatives, the apology represents an effort to confront a chapter that continues to shadow his public record.

The broader reckoning over Epstein’s relationships with prominent figures, meanwhile, remains an unresolved part of a scandal that has reshaped conversations about power, accountability and institutional blind spots.