New York: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has said he deeply regrets his past interactions with financier Jeffrey Epstein, following the release of additional documents that have revived public discussion around Epstein’s network of high-profile contacts.
Speaking in a televised interview with Australia’s 9News, Gates said he was sorry for the time he spent with Epstein, calling those encounters a serious mistake. His comments come in the wake of a fresh disclosure of materials by the US Justice Department linked to the investigation into Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019.
The newly released records include emails, draft correspondence and other documents involving Epstein and several well-known individuals. Among them is an unsent email attributed to Epstein that makes allegations about Gates’ personal conduct. Gates dismissed the claims outright, stating that the message was never sent and that its contents were untrue.
“That email is not factual,” Gates said in the interview, adding that he does not understand Epstein’s motives for making such assertions. “I regret every moment of that association,” he said.
A spokesperson for Gates also rejected the allegations, saying the documents reflect Epstein’s attempts to exaggerate or misrepresent his ties to influential figures. According to the spokesperson, the materials show Epstein’s frustration over the absence of an ongoing relationship with Gates rather than any evidence of wrongdoing.
The renewed attention has also drawn a response from Melinda French Gates, who divorced Bill Gates in 2021. In an interview with US public radio, she said the release of the documents resurfaced painful memories from her marriage. While declining to speculate on details, she said any unresolved questions should be addressed by those directly involved.
“For me, it’s difficult to revisit this,” she said, adding that responsibility for explaining past associations rests with the individuals concerned.
Gates said his meetings with Epstein began in 2011 and included a handful of dinners over several years. He maintained that he never visited Epstein’s private island and denied any inappropriate behaviour. According to Gates, Epstein had presented himself as someone who could help mobilise wealthy donors for global health initiatives, an effort Gates said ultimately went nowhere.
The release of names in the Epstein-related files does not in itself indicate illegal activity. However, the documents have once again highlighted the extent of Epstein’s connections and raised questions about how some public figures characterised their relationships with him in the past.
As scrutiny continues, Gates has reiterated his regret over the association, describing it as an error in judgment that he wishes he had never made.
