Bill Gates at the hearing. (Photo: Kent Nishimura/AFP)
Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, told US lawmakers on Wednesday that he had “never victimized anyone”, while being questioned about his connections with the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
Gates, one of the world’s richest people and a well-known philanthropist, appeared before the House of Representatives Oversight Committee for a closed-door interview about Epstein, the former financier who died in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking for the sexual exploitation of underage girls.
“At no point did I see or have any indication that Epstein was involved in ongoing criminal behavior. I was never on his island, his farm or his home in Florida. I have never victimized anyone,” Gates said in his testimony, which was later published on his personal website.
He described his association with Epstein as “a serious error of judgement” and added: “If the time I spent with Epstein gave him any credibility, I am truly sorry.”
The committee called on Gates to testify after documents released by the US Department of Justice raised new questions about his contacts with Epstein.
Several other prominent figures, including Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and the US Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, have already appeared before the committee.
However, the mere fact that someone’s name appears in documents related to Epstein does not mean that there is any evidence of a crime against that person.
Bill Gates. (Photo: Kamil Zihnioglu/AFP)
Controversial email
Among the so-called “Epstein files” is a draft e-mail from 2013 in which Epstein apparently insinuates that he helped Gates manage the consequences of extramarital affairs, among other things by obtaining antibiotics after a sexually transmitted infection.
Gates dismissed the email as fake and denied the allegations.
According to reports, Gates has admitted to staff at his foundation that he had affairs with two Russian women, but he denies spending time with Epstein’s victims.
He testified on Wednesday that he was introduced to Epstein in 2011 – three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to recruiting a minor for prostitution.
According to Gates, Epstein claimed he was able to raise billions of dollars for global health initiatives through his network of wealthy clients.
“I was aware that Epstein had previous legal problems, but I did not understand the full extent of his crimes. I accepted the introduction without the investigation I should have done,” Gates said.
He explained that their engagement ended in December 2014, after it became clear that none of the potential donors Epstein had identified were interested in continuing.
“I told him we were not going any further and I stopped all communication and meetings,” Gates testified.
Jeffrey Epstein (March 28, 2017) (Photo: New York Sex Offender Registry via AP, File)
Pressure and extortion
According to reports, Gates has already admitted that his then wife, Melinda Gates, warned him about Epstein in 2013, but that he continued the relationship for at least a year.
Melinda, who divorced Gates in 2021, said further questions about the relationship needed to be answered by her ex-husband and others involved.
Gates further testified that he later learned Epstein had knowledge of sensitive details about his personal life, including his infidelity in his marriage.
According to him, Epstein tried to use this information, along with “a lot of lies”, to put pressure on him to restore the relationship.
“He was not successful,” Gates said.
The house’s oversight committee is currently investigating Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, as part of a broader investigation into the US government’s handling of the case and the documents released about it.
Pres. Donald Trump, who was also associated with Epstein for many years, was initially opposed to the release of the “Epstein files”. This led to accusations of a possible cover-up.
Democrats have indicated they want to question Gates specifically about what he knew about Epstein’s crimes and the true nature of their relationship. The interview was not recorded on video, unlike several other testimonies already made public by the committee.