Bill Gates has publicly acknowledged that he made a mistake by establishing ties with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, following the release of documents by the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
The statement came after The Wall Street Journal reported that Gates expressed regret for his past ties during a closed-door meeting. According to Reuters, he noted that it was a “big mistake” to spend time with Epstein and to involve the foundation’s leaders in those meetings.
“I apologize to the people who were involved in all this because of my mistake,” Gates said.
The documents released by the DOJ also included photos of the Microsoft founder with several women. Gates explained to employees that the photos were taken at Epstein’s request after meetings, and stressed that he “never spent time with the victims or the women in his circle.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, Gates also admitted to having two affairs with Russian women, but none of Epstein’s victims were involved. “I didn’t do anything illegal. I didn’t see anything illegal,” Gates told employees.
