Bill Gates has apologised to staff of the Gates Foundation for his past association with Jeffrey Epstein, describing his decision to spend time with the convicted sex offender as a “huge mistake.”
Bill Gates has apologised to members of staff at the Gates Foundation over his previous interactions with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, admitting it was a “huge mistake to spend time with him.” The billionaire businessman made the remarks during a town hall meeting on Tuesday, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
The connection between Gates and Epstein first became public knowledge in October 2019, but fresh details have emerged following the release of documents by the US Department of Justice relating to the deceased financier. Among the documents is an email in which Epstein claimed that Gates had contracted a sexually transmitted infection and sought antibiotics to covertly give to his then-wife, Melinda, an allegation Gates has denied. The files also outlined meetings between the tech mogul and Epstein, including dinners, phone calls and discussions centred on philanthropy.
According to the WSJ report, Gates also apologised for bringing foundation executives to meetings with Epstein. He admitted to having two affairs but maintained he did not take part in the convicted sex offender’s crimes, explaining that he met the women through his own social and business circles. “One of the women was a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and the other a Russian nuclear physicist,” he said.
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