Gates Says He “Took Responsibility” During Employee Meeting
Bill Gates said he “took responsibility for his actions” regarding his past relationship with late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a scheduled town hall with employees of the Gates Foundation, according to a spokesperson for the philanthropic group.The remarks came after a report stated that Gates had apologized to staff during the internal meeting about his association with Epstein.
DOJ Documents Detail Meetings After Epstein’s Prison Term
Documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice showed that Gates and Epstein met multiple times after Epstein completed a prison term. The discussions, according to the documents, focused on expanding Gates’ philanthropic initiatives.
During the town hall, Gates reportedly described spending time with Epstein as a “major mistake” and acknowledged bringing foundation executives into meetings with him. He apologized to employees who were drawn into those interactions.
“I apologize to others who were drawn into this because of the mistake I made,” Gates said during the meeting, according to the report.
Personal Matters Also Addressed in Meeting
The report further stated that Gates acknowledged having two affairs with Russian women that Epstein later became aware of. He told staff that those affairs did not involve Epstein’s victims.
“I did nothing wrong. I saw nothing wrong,” Gates told employees, according to the account of the meeting.
DOJ documents also included photographs of the Microsoft co founder posing with women whose faces were redacted. Gates reportedly told foundation staff that the images were taken at Epstein’s request with assistants present after meetings.
“To be clear, I never spent any time with the victims, the women around him,” Gates said during the town hall, according to the report.
Foundation Confirms Gates Spoke Candidly
A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation confirmed that Gates held a scheduled town hall with employees and addressed a range of issues, including the release of the Epstein related files.
“During the town hall, Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions,” the spokesperson said in a written statement.
The foundation added that the statement reflected what was shared during the meeting and said it would not comment further on the report.
Earlier this month, the Gates Foundation stated that it did not make any financial payments to Epstein and never employed him.
Withdrawal From India’s AI Impact Summit
The billionaire also withdrew from the India AI Impact Summit hours before his scheduled keynote appearance last week.
Founded in 2000 by Gates and his then wife, the Gates Foundation remains one of the world’s largest funders of global health initiatives, supporting programs across multiple countries.
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