Microsoft founder Bill Gates has publicly expressed profound regret over every moment spent with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, vehemently denying allegations contained in newly released Department of Justice documents that have reignited scrutiny of their past association.
The billionaire philanthropist addressed the controversy in an exclusive interview with 9News Australia aired Wednesday, calling himself “stupid” for ever engaging with Epstein and categorically rejecting claims made in draft emails included in over three million pages of investigative records released by the U.S. Department of Justice on January 30, 2026.
“I regret every minute I spent with him, and I apologize,” Gates stated during the interview broadcast February 4, 2026. “I was stupid to spend time with him. The more that comes out, the clearer it is that even though that time was a mistake, it had nothing to do with that kind of behavior.”
The controversy centers on the so-called “Epstein Files,” comprehensive DOJ documents detailing the investigation into Epstein, who died by apparent suicide in his Manhattan jail cell on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges involving minors. The documents include emails between Epstein and various prominent figures, revealing close friendships, alleged illegal financial transactions, and private photographs.
Among the most contentious elements is a draft email allegedly written by Epstein on July 18, 2013, containing vulgar accusations that Gates had engaged in extramarital affairs and contracted a sexually transmitted disease. The draft claimed Epstein helped Gates “obtain medication to address consequences from sexual relations with a Russian woman and facilitated secret meetings with married women.”
Gates forcefully rejected these allegations as “completely absurd and entirely false,” emphasizing that the email was never sent to him and questioning Epstein’s motives for writing it. “Epstein wrote an email to himself. I never received it. I don’t know what was in his mind when he wrote that. Was he trying to attack me in some way?” Gates said.
A spokesperson for Gates reinforced this position following the document release, stating, “The only thing these documents show is Epstein’s frustration at not having an ongoing relationship with Gates, and the extent of his efforts to entrap and defame him.”
The revelations have proven particularly painful for Melinda French Gates, who divorced Bill Gates in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. Speaking with National Public Radio, Melinda described the document publication as reviving “memories of very, very painful times in my marriage.”
“For me personally, every time those details surface, it feels extremely heavy,” she told NPR. “Any questions that remain about it I can’t even begin to understand it all those questions are for the people involved and also for my ex-husband. They are the ones who must answer those things, not me.”
Gates explained that his initial meeting with Epstein occurred in 2011, during which they had dinner together several times over approximately three years. He emphatically denied visiting Epstein’s private Caribbean island or having contact with any women mentioned in connection with the case.
“The focus was always on his claim that he knew many very wealthy people and he said he could get them to donate to global health. Looking back now, that was a dead end,” Gates said. “I misjudged, and that was a huge mistake.”
The billionaire clarified that his interactions with Epstein were limited to dinner meetings and discussions about philanthropy, with Epstein promising to connect Gates with wealthy donors to support global health initiatives—promises that never materialized.
Despite Gates’s name appearing in the DOJ documents, he has not been accused of any legal violations by any of Epstein’s victims, nor do the documents imply criminal involvement. Legal experts note that inclusion in the files does not necessarily indicate wrongdoing, though the documents reveal connections between Epstein and public figures who previously downplayed or denied their associations with him.
Gates acknowledged the ongoing impact of these revelations during his interview, admitting the continued emergence of details reinforces how significant his error in judgment was. “The more facts that emerge, the clearer it is that this has absolutely nothing to do with me,” he insisted.
The timing of these revelations has placed renewed focus on Gates’s past decision making and the potential influence Epstein’s connections may have had on prominent figures. While Gates maintains his interactions were purely focused on philanthropic fundraising that never came to fruition, questions persist about why he continued meeting with Epstein despite the financier’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Epstein’s death in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York was officially ruled a suicide by hanging, though his demise while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking of minors sparked widespread speculation and conspiracy theories that continue to this day.
The release of the Epstein Files represents one of the most comprehensive public disclosures related to the case, offering unprecedented insight into the network of relationships Epstein maintained with business leaders, politicians, and celebrities. However, officials have cautioned that appearance in the documents does not constitute evidence of criminal activity or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
For Gates, who ranks among the world’s wealthiest individuals and has dedicated billions to global health and development through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the association with Epstein remains a significant personal and reputational challenge that continues to generate questions years after their last contact.
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