Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told the House Oversight Committee that he was unaware of any criminal conduct that Jeffrey Epstein engaged in.
“At the outset, I want to state very clearly: I never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct. I never went to his island, his ranch, or his Florida home. I have never victimized anyone. While he may have sought to foster a personal relationship, I was never interested in that and never reciprocated,” Gates said in the opening statement published on his website.
“I recall being aware that Epstein had faced prior legal issues, but I did not fully understand the extent of the crimes he committed. I accepted the introduction without applying the scrutiny I should have,” Gates said.
The statement explained that Gates’ interactions with Epstein began with a series of meetings between 2011 and 2012 and continued into 2013 and 2014. “The discussions focused on identifying potential giving structures, such as donor-advised funds, and how to enroll individuals he claimed were interested in making significant contributions,” the statement reads. “I made it clear to Epstein from the outset that he would never play a role in any of the work or receive any compensation.”
After business-related matters fell through, he learned Epstein had “become aware of sensitive information about my personal life, including the fact that I had been unfaithful in my marriage.”
“I should never have met with Epstein in the first place. Based on what I know now, I understand that even if he had delivered the new donors he promised, it would not have justified associating with him,” Gates said.
Gates has been listed in several emails exposed under the Epstein files, one of which pertained to a sexually transmitted disease. In another email, Epstein claimed he helped Gates “get drugs” to “deal with consequences of sex with [R]ussian girls.”
Gates has since apologized to employees of the Gates Foundation regarding his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The Wall Street Journal obtained a recording from Gates, which features him stating he did “nothing illicit,” and saw “nothing illicit” during his time with Epstein. “I did have affairs, one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities,” he said.
