Bill Gates admitted having affairs with two Russian women but insisted they were not Jeffrey Epstein's victims as he apologised to staff over his ties to the disgraced financier during a town hall meeting at the Gates Foundation on Tuesday.
Gates told employees it had been a 'huge mistake' to spend time with Epstein and to involve foundation executives in meetings with the convicted sexual offender, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
'I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,' he said, according to a recording cited by the Journal.
The report said Gates acknowledged having two affairs with Russian women that Epstein later became aware of, but stressed they did not involve any of Epstein's victims.
During the town hall, Gates told employees: 'I did have affairs, one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities.'
Denies Illicit Conduct
'I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,' he added. 'To be clear, I never spent any time with the victims, the women around him.'
A spokesperson for the philanthropic organisation confirmed the Microsoft founder had 'taken responsibility for his actions'.
Previously released U.S. Department of Justice documents show Gates met Epstein repeatedly after the financier had served a prison sentence, with discussions said to have centred on expanding Gates' philanthropic work.
The documents also included pictures of the Microsoft founder posing with women whose faces are redacted.
According to the Journal, Gates said that the images were pictures that Epstein asked him to take with Epstein's assistants after their meetings.
Continued Seeing Epstein Despite Then-Wife's Concerns
Gates said he began meeting Epstein in 2011, several years after the financier's 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.
He acknowledged he was aware Epstein had been subject to an 18-month period of travel restrictions but admitted he did not properly scrutinize his background.
He continued seeing him even after his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, raised concerns in 2013.
'Knowing what I know now makes it, you know, a hundred times worse in terms of not only his crimes in the past but now it's clear there was ongoing bad behavior,' Gates told staff.
He also said he remained in contact with Epstein through 2014, travelled on his private jet and met him in Germany, France, New York and Washington.
'I never stayed overnight,' he added, saying he did not visit Epstein's private island.
Of his ex-wife, he said: 'To give her credit, she was always kind of skeptical about the Epstein thing.'
Epstein Ties Reported to Have Caused Marriage Strain
Gates's ties to Epstein were widely reported to have been a source of tension in the couple's marriage.
Melinda later described Epstein as 'evil personified' and said she was deeply uncomfortable with her husband's dealings with him.
The couple announced their divorce in May 2021 after 27 years of marriage, saying they could no longer 'grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives'.
The Journal has previously reported that Epstein later threatened Gates over his relationship with Mila Antonova, the Russian bridge player.
Epstein is said to have met Antonova while seeking financial backing for a bridge academy and later paid for her to attend a software coding course.
In a 2013 email to a senior Gates adviser, Epstein allegedly referred to two women he claimed Gates had been involved with during his marriage, warning they risked 'becoming overnight sensations'.
Foundation Spokesperson Confirms Town Hall
Gates met Antonova at a bridge tournament in 2010, three years before she is said to have met Epstein.
He also said the nuclear physicist had worked at one of his companies, although it is unclear whether their relationship overlapped with her employment.
Boris Nikolic, who had links to both Gates and Epstein, was aware of the relationships and later informed Epstein.
A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation told reporters that Gates held a scheduled town hall with the employees and answered questions on a range of issues, including the release of the Epstein files.
'In the town hall, Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions.'
Foundation Says it Made No Payments to Epstein
The spokesperson also said the Gates Foundation statement acknowledged what was shared by the billionaire during the town hall, and the statement is all that the foundation would say about the report.
Earlier this month, the Gates Foundation said it did not make any financial payments to Epstein or employ him at any time.
The billionaire also pulled out of India's AI Impact Summit hours before his scheduled keynote last week.
Bill Gates mysteriously pulls out of Indian AI summit
Bill Gates has mysteriously pulled out of India's AI Impact Summit hours before his scheduled keynote address on Thursday - as the tech billionaire faces backlash over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
The Gates Foundation said the Microsoft founder will not deliver his address at the artificial intelligence forum today to 'ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities.'
Only days ago, the foundation had dismissed rumors of his absence and insisted he was on track to attend.
Gates' cancellation comes after the US Department of Justice released emails last month that included communication between late financier and convicted sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein and the Gates Foundation's staff.
Gates - who is one of the world's richest men - has said the relationship was confined to philanthropy-related discussions and that it was a mistake for him to meet Epstein.