Bill Gates admits 2 affairs with Russian women but says ‘did nothing illicit, saw nothing illicit’ | Epstein Files row
Bill Gates admitted two past affairs and apologised for ties with Jeffrey Epstein, denying illicit conduct or contact with victims, while acknowledging poor judgment and regret over continuing meetings despite warnings.
Bill Gates and Epstein Files
Amid the uproar over the Jeffrey Epstein Files, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates apologised to the employees of the Gates Foundation regarding his associations with the late sex offender. He admitted that he had two relationships with Russian women.
New report
As per a report by The Wall Street Journal, Gates recognised that he made mistakes that have overshadowed the philanthropic organisation.
What did he say?
During a town hall meeting on Tuesday (Feb 24), Gates admitted to having had two affairs with Russian women, which were later uncovered by Epstein. But he clarified that these affairs did not involve any of Epstein's victims.
'I did nothing illicit'
“I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” Gates stated, as per a recording reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. “To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him,” he added.
'18-month thing'
Gates also said that he did not “properly check” Epstein's background, despite being aware of an “18-month thing” that had curtailed Epstein's travel. He also accepted that he continued his meetings with Epstein even after his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, raised concerns in 2013.
'Sex with Russian girls'
The emails in the newly released documents claimed that Epstein wrote an email saying that Gates contracted an STD after having sex with "Russian girls" and asked for antibiotics to give to his then-wife, Melinda. The email claimed all this happened without Gate's wife's knowledge.
'Every minute I spent with regret'
“Jeffrey wrote an email to himself, which was never sent. The email is, you know, false. So I don’t know what his thinking was there. It just reminds me, you know, every minute I spent with regret, and I, you know, apologise that I did that," Gates told Nine News.
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