Bill Gates regrets ties to Jeffrey Epstein, says email draft on extramarital affair is false

Bill Gates expressed deep regret over his past association with Jeffrey Epstein, calling every moment spent with him a mistake.

Bill Gates has said he deeply regrets all contact he had with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as renewed scrutiny of their past association follows the release of fresh US court documents.

Bill Gates confronted allegations of extramarital affair as new court documents surfaced in the Epstein investigation. (via REUTERS)

Speaking to Australia’s 9News in an interview aired on Wednesday, the Microsoft co-founder said he wished he had never spent time with Epstein, apologising for any association with him. "Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologize," he said. His comments came after the US Justice Department released another set of records linked to the Epstein investigation, which included emails referencing several high-profile individuals.

Among the documents was an unsent draft email in which Epstein made allegations about Gates’ personal life, including claims of extramarital relationships, reported news agency AFP. The email stated that Epstein was “helping Bill to get drugs, in order to deal with consequences of sex with Russian girls, to facilitating his illicit trysts, with married women.”

Gates strongly rejected the claims, calling the email false and saying he did not understand Epstein’s motives. “That email was never sent. The email is false. I don't know what his thinking was there. Was he trying to attack me in some way?,” Gates said, questioning whether Epstein was attempting to damage his reputation.

A spokesperson for Gates echoed the denial, stating that the documents reflected Epstein’s resentment over not having a continued relationship with the billionaire and his attempts to discredit him. Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, had long sought proximity to influential figures.

Melinda French Gates, Gates’ former wife, also addressed the issue in an interview with US National Public Radio, saying the release of the documents resurfaced painful memories from their marriage. She said unanswered questions remained and that those involved, including her ex-husband, would need to address them themselves. The couple divorced in 2021.

Gates has previously said he met Epstein in 2011 and attended a handful of dinners with him over the following years, maintaining that the interactions were centred on discussions about potential funding for global health initiatives. He said those efforts ultimately led nowhere and acknowledged that engaging with Epstein had been a serious mistake.

(With inputs from AFP)