Bill Gates addresses Epstein controversy in internal town hall: Here’s what he said

Bill Gates has apologised to staff at the Gates Foundation over his past association with Jeffrey Epstein. The apology came during a recent internal town hall, according to a statement shared with Reuters by a foundation spokesperson. Also Read: Why Android co-founder said Sorry Bill, It's on you?

The development follows renewed attention after US Department of Justice documents related to Epstein were made public. The documents included references to multiple meetings between Bill Gates and Jeffrey Epstein after Epstein had already served a prison sentence. Also Read: 10 best leadership quotes by Bill Gates

What Gates told staff

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, which cited a recording of the town hall, Gates told employees that meeting Epstein and involving foundation executives in those meetings was “a huge mistake.” He apologised to colleagues who were drawn into the controversy because of his actions.

“I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,” Gates said during the session, as quoted in the Journal’s report.

Gates also addressed questions around two past affairs with Russian women that were mentioned in the released documents. He clarified that those relationships were not connected to Epstein’s victims.

“I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” he reportedly told staff. He also said he never spent time with Epstein’s victims.

Foundation’s statement

In its statement to Reuters, a spokesperson for the Gates Foundation said that Gates spoke candidly during the scheduled town hall and took responsibility for his actions. The foundation did not provide additional details beyond confirming that the issue was discussed internally.

Earlier this month, the Gates Foundation also stated that it had never made financial payments to Epstein and had never employed him in any capacity.

Wider context

The renewed scrutiny comes after US Justice Department records, including photographs from meetings, were released publicly. The images reportedly showed Gates with women whose faces were redacted.

The controversy had already led Gates to cancel a scheduled appearance at India’s AI Impact Summit earlier this month. In a statement at the time, the foundation said the decision was taken to keep the focus on the event rather than on surrounding issues.

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Gates has previously said that his meetings with Epstein were related to philanthropy discussions and that maintaining contact with him was a mistake.