Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has described himself as “foolish” for spending time with Jeffrey Epstein, while firmly denying any involvement in wrongdoing linked to the disgraced financier.
His comments come after the release of a fresh batch of documents and images connected to a US Department of Justice investigation into Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
In an exclusive interview with Nine News, Gates said he first met Epstein in 2011 because of his connections to wealthy individuals who could potentially support the work of the Gates Foundation.
“I met Jeffrey (Epstein) in 2011. 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. “You know, in retrospect that was a dead end and I was foolish to spend time with him. I was one of many people who regret ever knowing him,” as quoted by Associated Press.
Gates said his association with Epstein was limited and stressed that he had no connection to the criminal behaviour linked to Epstein’s private Caribbean island.
“It's factually true that I was only at dinners, you know, I never went to the island. I never met any women and so, you know, the more that comes out, the more clear it'll be that although the time was a mistake, it had nothing to do with that kind of behaviour,” Associated Press has quoted.
Among the newly released material is an email said to have been written by Epstein about Gates, alleging he concealed a sexually transmitted disease from his wife after contact with “Russian girls”.
Gates dismissed the claim, saying the email had never been sent and was untrue.
“That email was never sent. The email is, you know, false. So, I don't know what his thinking was there. It just reminds me every minute I spent with him I regret and I apologise that I did that,” as quoted by Associated Press.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on federal charges alleging he sexually abused dozens of underage girls.
Ex-wife speaks out
Gates’ former wife, philanthropist Melinda French Gates, has also responded to the latest revelations, saying they brought back painful memories from their marriage.
Speaking in a video appearance on an NPR podcast, Melinda Gates said she felt “unbelievable sadness” when new details about her ex-husband’s ties to Epstein emerged and added that she was “happy to be away from all the muck,” Associated Press has reported.
“For me it's personally hard whenever those details come up, right because, brings back memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage,” she said. “But I have moved on from that. I purposely pushed it away and I moved on. I'm in a really unexpected, beautiful place in my life.
“So whatever questions remain there of what I don't can't even begin to know all of it. Those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me. And I am so happy to be away from all the muck,” as quoted by Associated Press.
Bill and Melinda Gates divorced in 2021. Bill Gates has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
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