Bill Gates Says he Regrets Every Minute Spent With Jeffrey Epstein, Dismisses STD Allegations; Ex Wife Melinda French Gates Reacts

Key Points:

The Epstein saga continues, with reputed figures falling from grace. The latest batch of the released Epstein files has shed light on several A-listers, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Indian-American director Mira Nair, among others. Gates’ inclusion in the disgraced Epstein files has reignited alleged lore that many netizens claim was the reason behind his separation from his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates.

Following the controversial debacle, many social media users criticised the Microsoft co-founder and called him out for his alleged connections with the convicted sex offender. Gates has consistently dismissed all the allegations as false and baseless.

See Also: “Using Wayfair to Traffic and Sell Children”: Old Trafficking Claims Resurface After Mention in New Epstein Documents

In an interview with 9News Australia on February 4, 2026, Gates addressed the issue after his alleged involvement with Jeffrey Epstein’s disgraceful activities went viral. The billionaire philanthropist expressed his long-standing regret over his association with the late financier, who was convicted of offences including soliciting prostitution, rape, and assault.

“Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologize,” said Gates. He further added that the emails were never sent to him and were completely false. He said, “I don’t know what his thinking was there. Was he trying to attack me in some way?”

The billionaire recalled meeting Epstein in 2011, followed by a number of dinners with the disgraced sex offender over the next three years. “The focus was always that he knew a lot of rich people and claimed he could get them to donate to global health, and in retrospect, that was a dead end,” said Gates.

He reiterated his regret over the time he spent with Jeffrey Epstein, adding, “I was foolish to spend time with him. I was one of many people who regret ever knowing him.”

Gates faced intense backlash after the files claimed that the billionaire businessman had allegedly contracted a sexually transmitted disease from Russian women and sought help from the late Jeffrey Epstein to manage the situation. A now-viral excerpt from the email drafts read: “from helping Bill get drugs in order to deal with the consequences of sex with Russian girls, to facilitating his illicit trysts with married women, to being asked to provide Adderall fro [sic] bridge tournaments.”

See Also: PM Modi Mentioned in Epstein Files: Emails Claim 2017 Israel Visit Was Made on US Advice; MEA Refutes Claims

The emails also alleged that Gates attempted to slip STD medication to his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, without her knowledge.

Several images of Gates from the published Epstein files have gone viral, including one in which he was seen next to a woman wearing a white shirt whose face was redacted.

Melinda French Gates Reacts to Allegations Against Her Ex-Husband

Melinda responded to the allegations linking her ex-husband, Gates, with Epstein in an interview with NPR’s Wild Card podcast. She said, “For me, it’s personally hard whenever those details come up, right? Because it brings back memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage.”

She further added that any questions that remain must be answered by the people involved in the case. “Whatever questions remain there of what—I 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,” said Melinda.

The former couple parted ways after years of marriage in 2021, and Gates later revealed that he had an affair with a Microsoft employee in 2019.

[VS]

Suggested Reading: