Tech billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates has publicly acknowledged taking responsibility for his past interactions with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein calling those decisions a serious mistake during an internal meeting with staff of the Gates Foundation.
Gates addressed employees at a foundation town hall where he apologized for spending time with Epstein and for involving his organization’s executives in meetings with him contacts he now describes as an error in judgment. He reiterated that his engagement with Epstein was strictly related to philanthropic discussions and not tied to any illicit activities.
During the meeting Gates said he was sorry to anyone who was affected by his decisions and stressed that while he made “a huge mistake” by associating with Epstein he did not witness or participate in any wrongdoing linked to Epstein’s criminal conduct.
He also addressed aspects of recently released legal documents and clarified that photos showing him with women whose faces were redacted in the files were taken at the request of Epstein and not linked to any illegal behavior.
The Gates Foundation confirmed that it has never had financial ties to Epstein nor employed him and said the comments made during the town hall were Gates’ way of answering questions openly about the issue.
This public acknowledgement comes amid broader scrutiny of Epstein‑related records released by the U.S. Department of Justice which have reignited questions about high‑profile figures who once met with the disgraced financier.
