'Regret meeting him,' Gates says after new Epstein files emerge
What's the story
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has expressed his regret over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The statement comes after newly released Justice Department files mentioned Gates's name. In an interview with Nine News Australia, Gates called his past interactions with Epstein a "serious mistake" and denied claims made by Epstein in the documents.
Regret expressed
'I regret every minute I spent with him'
Gates described his meetings with Epstein as "foolish" and said he regrets every minute spent with him. He also apologized for the same. The Microsoft co-founder denied claims attributed to Epstein, saying an email allegedly written by Epstein to himself was never sent and is false. Gates questioned what Epstein's intentions were, wondering if he was trying to attack him in some way.
Past interactions
Gates denied visiting Epstein's private island
Gates confirmed that he met Epstein in 2011, after the latter had already been convicted of sex crimes. He denied ever visiting Epstein's private island and said their conversations were mostly about business opportunities. "The focus was always, he knew a lot of very rich people, and he was saying he could get them to give money to global health," Gates said. "In retrospect, that was a dead end."
Allegations denied
Epstein claimed he helped Gates obtain drugs
The newly released files include several emails from 2013 Epstein sent to himself, making unverified claims about Gates. In one email dated July 18, Epstein wrote that he resigned from a role linked to the Gates Foundation and BG3 after getting "caught up in a severe marital dispute between Melinda and Bill." Epstein also claimed that he helped Gates obtain drugs.
Claims refuted
'These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false'
In a statement to NBC News on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Gates denied Epstein's claims. "These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false," the statement said. "The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein's frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame."
Emotional response
Melinda French Gates reacts to ex-husband's name in documents
Gates's ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, said she felt "unbelievable sadness" seeing her ex-husband's name in the latest Epstein-related documents. "Whatever questions remain there ... for those people, and for even my ex-husband, they need to answer to those things, not me," she said on NPR's Wild Card podcast. "And I am so happy to be away from all the muck that was there."