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Gates' apology in the town hall comes days after the US Department of Justice released its largest batch of Jeffrey Epstein files – totalling nearly 3.5 million pages, images, and videos – marking the end of its legal review under the Transparency Act.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates apologised to the staff of the Gates Foundation over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and acknowledged that he had two affairs with Russian women that the late offender later discovered, but that they didn’t involve Epstein’s victims, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
“I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” Gates said, as per a recording reviewed by the media outlet.
Opening up about his personal life, Gates said he had two affairs – one with a Russian bridge player, who met him at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist whom Gates “met through business activities”.
The billionaire made the comments in a town hall on Tuesday, 24 February.
Largest batch of Epstein files out
Gates' apology in the town hall comes days after the US Department of Justice released its largest batch of Jeffrey Epstein files – totalling nearly 3.5 million pages, images, and videos – marking the end of its legal review under the Transparency Act.
In a draft email among the documents, Epstein claimed that Gates had asked one of his advisers to provide him with medicine to treat sexually transmitted diseases — the consequences of “sex with Russian girls”. According to The New York Post, Epstein was likely making the claims on behalf of Gates' longtime science adviser, Boris Nikolic, who announced his intent to leave the Gates Foundation.
What Bill Gates said
The Microsoft co-founder said he met Epstein starting in 2011, years after Epstein had pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Gates reportedly acknowledged he was aware of some “18-month thing” and that Epstein had faced some travel restrictions but said he did not fully look into his background. He continued meeting Epstein even after concerns were raised by his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, in 2013.
He also said that he continued meeting Epstein through 2014, flew on a private jet with Epstein and spent time with him in Germany, France, New York and Washington.
“I never stayed overnight,” or visited Epstein’s island, WSJ quoted Gates as saying.
Bill Gates' apology
Gates further admitted that his association with Jeffrey Epstein and newly disclosed emails from the Justice Department files had cast a shadow over the Gates Foundation and its reputation.
“It was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein” and bring Gates Foundation executives into meetings with the sex offender, Gates said.
“I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made," Gates said at the town hall, reported WSJ.
“It definitely is the opposite of the values of the Foundation and the goals of the Foundation,” he said.
“And our work is very reputational sensitive. I mean, people can choose to work with us or not work with us," the American daily newspaper quoted Gates as saying.
English (US) ·