Bill Gates Admits Affairs with Russian Women, Apologizes for Epstein Ties
Bill Gates, the American billionaire and co-founder of Microsoft, has publicly admitted to having affairs with two Russian women and issued a formal apology for his ties to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The admission and apology were made during a town hall meeting at the Gates Foundation on Tuesday, February 24, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Apology for Epstein Association
During the meeting, Gates told employees that it was a 'huge mistake' to spend time with Epstein and to involve foundation executives in meetings with the convicted sex offender. According to a recording cited by the Journal, Gates stated, 'I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made.' A spokesperson for the philanthropic organization confirmed that Gates had 'taken responsibility for his actions' during the event.
Details of the Affairs
The report revealed that Gates acknowledged having two affairs with Russian women, which Epstein later became aware of. However, Gates emphasized that these affairs did not involve any of Epstein's victims. He told staff, 'I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit.' This clarification was part of his effort to distance himself from Epstein's criminal activities.
Background on Epstein Connections
Previously released U.S. Department of Justice documents show that Gates met Epstein repeatedly after the financier had served a prison sentence. These discussions were said to have centered on expanding Gates' philanthropic work. The documents also included pictures of Gates posing with women whose faces were redacted. According to the Journal, Gates explained to foundation staff that these images were taken at Epstein's request with his assistants after their meetings. Gates added, 'To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him.'
Foundation's Response and Recent Developments
A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation told reporters that Gates held a scheduled town hall with employees and answered questions on a range of issues, including the release of the Epstein files. The spokesperson stated, 'In the town hall, Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions.' The foundation also reiterated that it did not make any financial payments to Epstein or employ him at any time. In a related development, Gates recently pulled out of India's AI Impact Summit hours before his scheduled keynote last week, though the reasons for this withdrawal were not specified in the report.
