Key Points:
Bill Gates acknowledged his association with Jeffrey Epstein as a mistake and apologised to his employees.
Newly released DOJ documents and email drafts reportedly revealed conversations between Gates and Epstein.
The attention surrounding the Epstein files has triggered a PR crisis for Gates, with speculation linking the controversy to his withdrawal from a keynote address at the 2026 AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.
In one of the first such instances, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein has taken responsibility for their association with the convicted sex offender, who died by suicide in his prison cell on August 10, 2019. Billionaire businessman Bill Gates has been under continuous scrutiny for his history with the late financier.
As part of the ripple effect, Gates’ reputation has been on the rocks over the past couple of months following the release of several documents from the Epstein files by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
See Also: Bill Gates Will Not Deliver Keynote Address at 2026 AI Impact Summit, Writes Gates Foundation
The Microsoft co-founder had previously expressed regret over his meetings with Epstein in an interview with 9News Australia on February 4, 2026. More recently, Gates addressed the situation and reportedly apologised to his staff for his ties to Jeffrey Epstein during a town hall meeting with employees of the Gates Foundation, a spokesperson for the organisation told Reuters on February 24, 2026.
According to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, Gates stated that bringing foundation employees into meetings with the late convicted sex offender was a “huge mistake.”
He said, as cited by the Wall Street Journal report, “I apologize to other people who were drawn into this because of the mistake that I made.” The report further added that the billionaire businessman also had two affairs with Russian women who were not victims linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
In earlier batches of the Epstein files, Gates’ alleged indiscretions with Russian women were revealed and were reportedly cited as a reason behind his separation from his wife, Melinda French Gates. According to a WSJ report, he told his employees, “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit.”
The DOJ has released more than three million documents as part of the controversial Epstein files. One of the released email drafts allegedly contained a conversation between Epstein and Gates, in which Gates reportedly confided in him after contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) from Russian women.
The email stated that Gates sought Epstein’s help to conceal the consequences of his alleged infidelity. The emails further claimed that he had also attempted to give his then wife, Melinda, STD medication.
Gates has expressed regret over his ties with Epstein, saying that he was among the many who regretted ever knowing him. He said in an earlier interview, “I was foolish to spend time with him.” A spokesperson told Reuters that the town hall meeting was held to answer questions on various ongoing issues, including his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The spokesperson added, “In the town hall, Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail and taking responsibility for his actions.”
Gates’ history with Epstein has never seemed to be just a tale from the past. Even after Epstein died by suicide, Gates’ reputation has faced a PR nightmare. Recently, Bill Gates backed out of delivering his keynote address at the 2026 AI Impact Summit at the last minute. Various speculations suggested that Gates’ withdrawal from the AI summit in New Delhi was due to his recent controversies and his inclusion in the disgraced Epstein files.
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