The philanthropist addressed mistakes he made in the past and offered an apology to staff at the Gates Foundation.
Bill Gates has once again opened up about his connections to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Speaking during a town hall on Tuesday, February 24, Bill’s remarks have drawn widespread attention and prompted strong reactions from the public.
Bill Gates in the European Council, an institution of the European Union in Brussels, Belgium on June 25, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
Foundation Fallout and a Public Apology
The 70-year-old admitted that his actions in connection with Jeffrey, plus emails recently released by the Justice Department, had cast a shadow over the Gates Foundation.
He noted that the foundation’s reputation has also been soiled. “It definitely is the opposite of the values of the Foundation and the goals of the Foundation. And our work is very reputational sensitive. I mean, people can choose to work with us or not work with us,” added Bill.
Bill Gates attends the 11th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 5, 2025 in Santa Monica, California | Source: Getty Images
Bill went on to say that bringing Gates Foundation executives into meetings involving Jeffrey was a serious error. He admitted that the presence of other prestigious individuals made the meetings feel more normalized at the time.
However, he now understands that his involvement contributed to improving Jeffrey’s reputation. He added, “It was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein. I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made.”
Bill Gates attend a meeting of Bloomberg at the Plaza Hotel on September 23, 2025 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
Reflecting on the situation, the billionaire said that knowing what he knows now made his actions far worse, given both Jeffrey’s past crimes and his ongoing misconduct. “In retrospect, I was foolish to spend any time with him,” he admitted. “And he sort of, you know, got time with various people by spending time with other people. So yes, I think I was quite stupid.”
Even so, Bill maintained that he was not involved in Jeffrey’s criminal activities. Bill added that Melinda had been wary of his interactions with Jeffrey, a concern she had raised repeatedly over the years. Now, the billionaire is witnessing the repercussions of his association with Jeffrey.
Inside His Years-Long Association with Jeffrey Epstein
Bill has sought to downplay the extent of his association with Jeffrey, maintaining that they neither shared a business partnership nor a personal friendship.
However, reporting by The New York Times, based on interviews with more than a dozen individuals familiar with their interactions and a review of related documents, indicated that the two met multiple times starting in 2011.
