Bill Gates apologizes to foundation employees over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein
US technology entrepreneur Bill Gates has apologized to employees at the Gates Foundation for his past relationships with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, while stressing that he did “nothing illegal”, according to media reports.The Microsoft co-founder admitted in a town hall meeting that his association with Epstein was a “huge mistake” and said it cast a shadow on the charity’s reputation.
Bill Gates responds to Epstein claims and denies any wrongdoing as newly released emails shock
“I did nothing illegal,” Gates told employees.
According to an exclusive report by The Wall Street Journal, Gates told employees during the town hall: “I did nothing illegal. I did not see anything illegal.”He added, according to the newspaper report: “To be clear, I did not spend any time with the victims and the women around him.”Gates said the photos in the recently released “Epstein Files” that show him with women whose faces are obscured are photos that Epstein asked him to take with his aides after the meetings.“I apologize to other people who were drawn into this because of the mistake I made,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.Reuters quoted a spokesman for the Gates Foundation as saying that Gates “spoke frankly, addressed several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions.”
The meetings continued after Epstein’s conviction
Gates first met Epstein in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution, and continued to meet him until 2014, according to the magazine’s report.He admitted he did not “properly check” Epstein’s background, even though he was aware of the “18-month” order that restricted Epstein’s travel.Gates also said he continued to meet with Epstein even after his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, raised concerns in 2013.“To give her credit, she was always kind of skeptical about the Epstein thing,” he said.The Wall Street Journal reported that Gates flew on a private plane with Epstein and spent time with him in Germany, France, New York and Washington, though he said, “I never stayed up all night,” and did not visit Epstein’s island.Epstein died by suicide in a New York prison cell in August 2019, a month after he was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges, according to US media reports.
Relationships with Russian women were recognized
At the town hall, Gates also admitted that he had two affairs with two Russian women during his marriage.“I had relationships, one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist I met through business activities,” he said.He explained that the issues were not related to Epstein’s victims.According to the New York Post, Epstein had previously referenced alleged Gates ties in emails, including a July 2013 letter to Boris Nikolic, Gates’ former science and technology advisor, although Nikolic has denied authoring or requesting some of the emails attributed to him.
The reputation of the institution and the files of the Ministry of Justice
The controversy resurfaced after the US Department of Justice last month published tens of thousands of documents, collectively referred to as the “Epstein Files.” The documents include emails, interview transcripts, photographs, and call logs that show links between Epstein and various public figures.According to Reuters, Justice Department documents indicated that Gates and Epstein met repeatedly after Epstein’s prison term to discuss expanding the Microsoft founder’s charitable efforts.The Gates Foundation said earlier this month that it had not made any financial payments to Epstein or employed him at any time.Gates acknowledged that his ties to Epstein and the newly revealed emails had a negative impact on the organization.“It is definitely the opposite of the values of the institution and the goals of the institution,” he said. “And our business is very reputation-sensitive. I mean, people can choose to work with us or not to work with us.”The Gates Foundation, founded by Gates and his then-wife, in 2000, is one of the largest funders of global health initiatives in the world.While stressing that he was not involved in any crimes, Gates admitted that his association with Epstein helped the financier “polish his reputation.”
