WSJ: Gates apologized for ties to Epstein and spoke about meetings with him

The US billionaire Bill Gates has apologized to Gates Foundation staff for his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He acknowledged mistakes that have tarnished the charityʼs reputation but insists he had no part in Epsteinʼs crimes.

He said this at a meeting with the team on February 24, a recording of which was obtained by The Wall Street Journal.

At that meeting, he said he began seeing Epstein in 2011, several years after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution. Gates said he was aware of “some 18-month travel restrictions” on Epstein but failed to properly check his background. He continued to meet with him even after his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, raised concerns in 2013.

Gates said he met with Epstein until 2014, flew with him on a private jet and spent time in Germany, France, New York and Washington. The billionaire insists he never stayed overnight or visited Epsteinʼs island.

According to Gates, Epstein talked about his "close relationships" with many billionaires, including those from Wall Street, and claimed that he could help raise funds for causes such as global health.

Gates said that the presence of other influential people at these meetings “made it easier to feel like this was a normalized situation”. He acknowledged that his connection to Epstein also helped him improve his own reputation.

Gates also responded to photos from the recently released Epstein case showing him with women with their faces retouched, saying they were taken at Epsteinʼs request with his assistants after meetings.

During the meeting, Gates also spoke about his personal life: "I had affairs — one with a Russian bridge player I met at tournaments, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist I met through business."

Gates said that his scientific advisor Boris Nikolic, who was close to both him and Epstein, knew about these affairs and informed Epstein about them. The WSJ previously reported that Epstein interfered in negotiations to remove Nikolic from Gatesʼ office and hinted at Gatesʼ extramarital affairs during the deal. In 2023, the WSJ reported that Epstein allegedly used knowledge of Gatesʼ affair with a Russian bridge player to pressure him.

According to journalists, in a letter dated July 4, 2013 to Nikolic, Epstein wrote: “Bill risks turning from the richest man into the biggest hypocrite, Melinda into a laughing stock, and the pledges of donations will disappear as a result”. He then named two women with whom Gates had affairs, noting that they “risk becoming overnight sensations”.

Gates said during the meeting that 2014 was the last time he saw Epstein, although there were still some “side issues” that he raised.

“After that, he kept sending me emails, but I didn’t respond,” Gates said.

The Jeffrey Epstein case

American financier Jeffrey Epstein was first arrested in 2008. He was convicted of sex with minors and organizing prostitution. After 13 months in prison, the financier made a deal with prosecutors and was released. In 2019, he was charged with new charges of human trafficking.

At the time, it was reported that the FBI had discovered thousands of names of famous people in Epsteinʼs notebook, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, and billionaire Richard Branson. This sparked a series of accusations and suspicions against famous people that they may have used Epsteinʼs services.

Epstein was arrested a second time on July 7, and on August 10, 2019, he committed suicide in prison. In December 2023, a US court ordered the release of the names of more than 170 people from Epsteinʼs inner circle.

Donald Trump has also been accused of having ties to Epstein. Trump and Epstein were allegedly friends and attended the same parties in the 1990s. However, Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against journalists who covered this information.

In November, it became known that dozens of references to Ukraine were found among Jeffrey Epsteinʼs documents. Among other things, the names of politician Oleksandr Vilkul and former President Leonid Kuchma appear there.

On December 19, the US Department of Justice released the first selection of the “Epstein files”. Among the tens of thousands of documents that were censored are many photos of famous people. Less than a day after the publication, at least 16 files related to Epstein disappeared from the US Department of Justice website. Among them was a photo with Trump.

The US Department of Justice published a new set of documents on January 30. They found information that Microsoft founder Bill Gates was diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection after communicating with "Russian girls", and that Epstein helped him purchase medication.

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