USA Gates: It was stupid of me to spend time with Epstein
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has described his meetings with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as a "mistake" following the latest release of files surrounding the case.
05.02.2026, 01:34
SDA
"It was stupid of me to spend time with him," he said in an interview with 9News. "I'm one of many who regret ever getting to know him."
In files recently released by the US Department of Justice, there is also a draft email from 2013 that was stored in Epstein's account and is apparently addressed to Bill Gates.
The draft discusses tensions between Gates and his then wife as well as failed business relationships. It also contains unsubstantiated allegations of a personal nature - including the suggestion that Gates had asked Epstein to delete emails relating to a possible sexually transmitted disease and intimate details. There is no evidence of this. Simply being named or pictured in the Epstein files is no indication of misconduct.
Gates: It was only about donations
Gates denied the question of whether the allegations were true. Epstein had apparently written an e-mail to himself that had never been sent. He did not know what Epstein was thinking, said Gates - and raised the question of whether Epstein had tried to harm him.
He regretted every minute he had spent with Epstein and apologized for it, Gates said. He had never been to the entrepreneur's private island, which is said to have been the center of the abuse ring. He had never met any women, the Microsoft co-founder emphasized.
According to Gates, he met Epstein for dinner several times. He explained that Epstein knew many rich people and said he could persuade them to donate money for global health. Gates had given similar reasons for his meetings with Epstein years ago.
For years, the multimillionaire Epstein from New York had run an abuse ring that victimized dozens of young women and minors. Over several years, he also allegedly abused minors himself in New York and Florida. In 2019, Epstein died in prison at the age of 66 before a possible further conviction could have taken place.
