Bill Gates Regrets Ties With Epstein As New Documents Stir Controversy

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has expressed deep regret over his past association with convicted sex offender, late Jeffrey Epstein, as newly released Epstein-related documents have reignited public scrutiny of their relationship, which has sparked fresh controversy.

Speaking on Wednesday in an interview with Australia’s 9News, Gates dismissed allegations contained in the latest batch of Epstein files, describing them as false and suggesting Epstein may have been attempting to defame or extort him.

“Apparently, Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. That email was never sent. The email is false,” Gates said.

The renewed attention followed claims in the documents alleging that Gates concealed a sexually transmitted disease from his former wife, Melinda French Gates, after alleged contact with “Russian girls,” and that Epstein claimed Gates attempted to secretly provide her with antibiotics.

Gates’ office has firmly rejected the claims, describing them as “absolutely absurd and completely false.”

Epstein, a wealthy financier with extensive links to political leaders, business executives and celebrities in the United States and beyond, was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges involving underage girls. He had earlier served a controversial jail sentence in 2008 after pleading guilty to state prostitution-related offences. Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial, but investigations into his activities and network of associates have continued to attract global attention.

Reflecting on his interactions with Epstein, Gates described the relationship as a serious error in judgement.

“I don’t know what his thinking was there. Was he trying to attack me in some way? Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologise that I did that,” he said.

Gates confirmed that he met Epstein in 2011 and had dinner with him on several occasions, explaining that the meetings were intended to encourage wealthy individuals to support global health initiatives. He stressed that he never visited Epstein’s private Caribbean island and denied having any sexual relationships with women connected to Epstein.

“The focus was always that he knew a lot of very rich people, and he was saying he could get them to give money to global health. In retrospect, that was a dead end,” Gates said, adding that he was “foolish” to have associated with Epstein and he is among many who now regreted ever knowing him.