Bill Gates told employees of the Gates Foundation that his past association with Jeffrey Epstein was a mistake and apologized for the fallout it has caused inside the organization, according to reporting that reviewed or described a recording of his remarks.
Gates also acknowledged having had extramarital affairs during his marriage to Melinda French Gates, while denying any involvement in or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
The remarks came during a staff town hall held Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, as renewed attention around the latest release of Epstein-related Justice Department materials has revived scrutiny of prominent figures whose names appear in the files. In the session, Gates said his decisions had distracted from the foundation’s work, and he sought to address employee questions about the controversy and the organization’s direction.
What Gates Told Staff About Epstein
In the town hall, Gates described spending time with Epstein as a “huge mistake” and said he regretted the way his choices pulled other people and the foundation into the matter. He also said he did not engage in illegal conduct and did not witness illegal conduct while around Epstein, based on accounts of what he said during the meeting.
Gates told staff he first met Epstein in 2011, several years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction on state charges that included soliciting a minor for prostitution and after Epstein served a short jail sentence.
Gates said he was aware Epstein had faced legal consequences and described it as an “18-month thing” that restricted travel, but said he did not fully vet Epstein’s background at the time. In comments attributed to Gates, he said what has become known since then made the decision to meet with Epstein far worse.
Reporting on the town hall said Gates continued meeting with Epstein until 2014 and that those meetings included travel and in-person gatherings in multiple locations. Gates denied staying overnight at a venue with Epstein and denied visiting Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the same reports.
Gates also spoke positively about Melinda French Gates’ judgment in hindsight, describing her as skeptical of Epstein. The Gateses divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage.
Admissions About Affairs and Claims in the Epstein Files
Gates acknowledged at the town hall that he had affairs, including one with a Russian bridge player he met through bridge events and another with a Russian nuclear physicist he met through business activities, according to accounts of what was said in the meeting.
Those admissions surfaced amid public attention to allegations contained in certain Epstein-related documents released by the Justice Department.
Among the materials referenced in reporting were draft emails Epstein wrote to himself on July 18, 2013, containing unverified allegations involving Gates and claims about an STI and antibiotics. Gates has disputed that version of events in public reporting, and the allegations in the emails are not established facts.
The renewed attention has also affected people close to Gates. In early February, Melinda French Gates said in an NPR interview that she felt “an unbelievable sadness” about her former husband’s name appearing in the Epstein files and described how the issue brought back painful memories from their marriage.
