Bill Gates has publicly apologized to staff at the Gates Foundation for his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, admitting his actions cast a shadow over the philanthropic organization while insisting he was never involved in Epstein's crimes.
In a town hall on Tuesday, the Microsoft co-founder addressed foundation employees, acknowledging he made mistakes that affected the group's reputation. "It was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein," Gates said.
"I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made." He added, "I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit."
According to CBS News, Gates first met Epstein in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution.
The billionaire admitted that he brought Gates Foundation executives to some meetings with Epstein in hopes of raising money for global health causes.
"Epstein talked about the kind of intimate relationship he had with a lot of billionaires, particularly Wall Street billionaires," Gates said.
"Because he had other prestigious people at these meetings, that made it easier for me to feel like this was a normalized situation."
Bill Gates Apologizes to Foundation Staff over Epstein Ties, Claims He Did ‘Nothing Illicit’
— NWRain-Judi (@RYboating) February 25, 2026
Bill is trying to do 'damage control' over his Epstein relationship, but I hope it backfires.
It seems everything Bill is involved with has nefarious implications.
Let's face it,… pic.twitter.com/FGaUnC7E2W
Bill Gates Admits Affairs With Two Russian Women
He also explained that his former wife and foundation co-founder, Melinda French Gates, was skeptical of Epstein from the start.
"To give her credit, she was always kind of skeptical about the Epstein thing," he told staff. Gates continued meeting with Epstein until 2014, flying on a private jet and spending time with him in Germany, France, New York, and Washington, though he denied ever visiting Epstein's private island or staying overnight with him.
Gates also admitted to personal failings, saying he had two affairs with Russian women—one a bridge player, the other a nuclear physicist—that Epstein later discovered.
"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. Gates stressed that none of these relationships involved Epstein's victims, FoxBusiness reported.
The billionaire acknowledged that the association with Epstein and newly released Justice Department files had affected the foundation's work and public perception.
"It definitely is the opposite of the values of the Foundation and the goals of the Foundation," he said. "And our work is very reputationally sensitive. People can choose to work with us or not work with us."
A Gates Foundation spokesperson noted that Gates holds town halls twice a year and "spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions."
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