Bill Gates publicly addressed his regret over meeting with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, taking responsibility for his actions during a Gates Foundation town hall amidst renewed scrutiny from recently released documents.
During a town hall meeting at his nonprofit Gates Foundation, Bill Gates confronted his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, stating he "took responsibility for his actions." While denying any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's crimes, Gates admitted to meeting Epstein to discuss philanthropy, believing he could assist in fundraising for global health initiatives. He expressed deep regret, telling Australia's 9News, "Every minute that I spent with him I regret and I apologize that I did that." The release of millions of documents by the Justice Department last month, featuring photos and mentions of Gates, has intensified attention on his connections to Epstein. This increased scrutiny recently led Gates to withdraw from delivering a keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit to ensure the event's focus remained on AI priorities. Melinda French Gates, his ex-wife, has also commented on the matter, stating he "must answer to those things," and both have acknowledged that his relationship with Epstein contributed to problems in their marriage.
