Gates Apologises to Foundation Staff for Epstein Ties
Bill Gates has apologised to employees of the Gates Foundation following the emergence of newly released documents concerning Jeffrey Epstein, which have brought renewed scrutiny to his previous association with the convicted sex offender. A spokesperson for the Foundation informed that Gates “took responsibility for his actions” during a recent town hall meeting, where he responded to enquiries about his connections to Epstein. As reported, Gates characterised his interactions with Epstein and the involvement of Gates Foundation executives in meetings with him as a “huge mistake. I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,” Gates stated.
The co-founder of Microsoft also acknowledged that he had two affairs with Russian women that Epstein later uncovered. However, he clarified that these did not involve Epstein’s victims. Gates has consistently asserted that his interactions with Epstein were limited to discussions related to philanthropy and has often stated that meeting him was a mistake. Documents released by the US Department of Justice reveal that Gates and Epstein engaged in multiple meetings to deliberate on the expansion of the Microsoft founder’s philanthropic initiatives. The records additionally feature photographs of Gates alongside women, with their faces obscured.
The images were captured at Epstein’s request, with his assistants present during the meetings. Gates informed his staff that he did not engage with the victims or the women associated with Epstein, as reported. The documents and images outlined several meetings between the two men, intensifying the examination of the nature of their relationship. Earlier this month, the Gates Foundation asserted that it made no financial payments to Epstein nor employed him at any time. Gates had also cancelled his scheduled appearance at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 last week. He was set to address the audience as a prominent figure in technology and philanthropy, sharing the stage with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and other influential leaders in the industry.
However, just hours before his anticipated address, the Foundation revealed that he would withdraw from participation. In a statement, it was conveyed that the decision was made to ensure that focus remained on the summit’s core agenda rather than the surrounding controversy. “After careful consideration, and to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities, Mr Gates will not be delivering his keynote address,” the statement noted.
