Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is desperately attempting damage control as scrutiny over his relationship with convicted child predator Jeffrey Epstein intensifies.
Just one week after abruptly pulling out as a keynote speaker at a major global AI summit in India, the billionaire addressed employees at the Gates Foundation during a closed-door town hall meeting.
During the event, Gates acknowledged what he called a “huge mistake” in maintaining ties to Epstein, even after the pedophile’s conviction for child sex crimes.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Gates told foundation staff that he never visited Epstein’s private “Pedophile Island” in the Caribbean.
He also insisted that he never spent time with Epstein’s victims, despite photos released by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) suggesting otherwise.
“I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” Gates said, according to a recording reviewed by the Journal.
“To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him,” he added.
Flights, Meetings, and Regrets
Gates admitted that he began meeting with Epstein in 2011, years after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to child sex crimes and served an 18-month jail sentence.
He admitted he was aware of what he referred to as the “18-month thing” that had restricted Epstein’s travel
Nevertheless, Gates continued interacting with Epstein through 2014.
The files released by the DOJ reveal that Gates exchanged 542 emails with Epstein.
Gates acknowledged flying on Epstein’s private jet and spending time with him in Germany, France, New York, and Washington.
However, these are details that have already been exposed, making them undeniable.
“I never stayed overnight,” Gates claimed, insisting that he never visited Epstein’s island.
He also revealed that Epstein later learned about two affairs Gates had with Russian women.
However, he claims those relationships did not involve Epstein’s victims.
Gates claimed that photos that recently emerged showing him alongside redacted women were taken by Epstein’s assistants after meetings.
“It was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein” and bring Gates Foundation executives into meetings with him, Gates said.
“I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made.”
Ignored Warnings
Gates admitted that his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, had raised concerns about Epstein as early as 2013.
“Knowing what I know now makes it, you know, a hundred times worse in terms of not only his crimes in the past, but now it’s clear there was ongoing bad behavior,” Gates said.
He added that his ex-wife “was always kind of skeptical about the Epstein thing.”
Yet, Melinda Gates revealed she was far more than just “skeptical,” and described Epstein as “evil personified,” and said she warned her ex-husband about him repeatedly.
She revealed that she had “nightmares” about Epstein and said the child trafficker played a central role in the breakdown of their marriage.
Despite those concerns, the Gates’s relationship with Epstein continued.
Gates told staff that Epstein had “talked about the kind of intimate relationship he had with a lot of billionaires, particularly Wall Street billionaires,” and claimed he could help raise money for global health initiatives.
“It definitely is the opposite of the values of the Foundation and the goals of the Foundation,” Gates said.
“And our work is very reputation-sensitive. I mean, people can choose to work with us or not work with us.”
Foundation Under a Cloud
The Gates Foundation’s decision to pull its founder from the India AI summit reportedly came at the last minute, creating what observers described as an embarrassing moment as the Epstein scandal continues to reverberate.
Epstein’s network of high-profile associates has faced renewed scrutiny following recent document releases, and Gates’ repeated interactions with the disgraced financier have become a focal point.
Gates is worth billions of dollars, raising further questions about why he claims he relied on Epstein for fundraising connections in the first place.
With the Epstein fallout far from over, Gates’ town hall remarks appear aimed at containing reputational damage, but the controversy surrounding his past association with Epstein shows no signs of fading.
READ MORE – Epstein Boasted of Trafficking Children to His Island for Abuse
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