Bill Gates, the 70-year-old tech titan and co-founder of Microsoft, appeared before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, acknowledging under oath that he had engaged in extramarital affairs. These revelations, long a subject of tabloid speculation, were delivered during a prepared statement where Gates also detailed alleged attempts by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to leverage knowledge of these affairs to maintain their association.
"He was unsuccessful in this effort, but it shows some of the ways he tried to leverage his interactions with me to further his agenda. I should never have met with Epstein in the first place." — Bill Gates, Witness
Gates told lawmakers that while his affairs were "painful for my family," they had "nothing to do with my interactions with Epstein." His testimony painted a picture of a man who claims he unwittingly entered a trap, drawn by Epstein's promises of channeling billions of dollars toward global public health initiatives. Gates characterized his initial introduction to Epstein in 2011 as one of the "worst" decisions of his life, admitting he failed to apply adequate scrutiny to Epstein, who was already a registered sex offender following a 2008 guilty plea in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a minor. "I accepted the introduction without applying the scrutiny I should have," Gates stated to the committee.
The relationship, Gates testified, spanned three years before he severed all contact in 2014. However, by then, Gates alleged, Epstein had amassed sufficient personal information to initiate a "coercive campaign" aimed at preventing their break. Gates described Epstein's tactics as deploying knowledge of his affairs, combined with what Gates labeled "outright fabrications," in an attempt to keep him close. Gates affirmed that Epstein "was unsuccessful in this effort, but it shows some of the ways he tried to leverage his interactions with me to further his agenda. I should never have met with Epstein in the first place."
Among the more incendiary allegations that have surfaced from Epstein's files is an email in which the financier claimed Gates had planned to secretly administer an antibiotic to his then-wife, Melinda, to treat a sexually transmitted infection he purportedly contracted from Russian women. Gates has vehemently denied this account, labeling it false. Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported that Gates had disclosed affairs with two Russian women to staff at his foundation, though he has consistently denied any contact with Epstein's victims.
Gates's 27-year marriage to Melinda Gates concluded in divorce in 2021, an event widely reported to have been influenced by his association with Epstein. Melinda Gates herself offered a stark assessment of Epstein after the divorce, stating, "He was abhorrent. He was evil personified. My heart breaks for these women." Reports indicate that Melinda had expressed discomfort with Epstein as early as 2013, yet Gates maintained contact for at least another year. While Gates flew on Epstein’s private jet and exchanged emails, he has repeatedly denied ever visiting Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean or encountering any of the financier’s victims, telling Australian television in February, "I never went to his island, I never met any women."
Jeffrey Epstein was indicted by federal prosecutors in July 2019 on charges of sex trafficking minors, with the Justice Department alleging he orchestrated a network of girls as young as 14 for abuse between 2002 and 2005. He died by suicide in a New York City jail cell later that year while awaiting trial. The House Oversight Committee's inquiry, which included Gates's testimony, is part of a broader investigation into Epstein and his convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell, scrutinizing how federal authorities handled the case and what government files remain unreleased.
President Donald Trump, who also had a documented prior relationship with Epstein, initially resisted releasing these files, a stance that drew accusations of obstruction during the early period of his return to office. Committee Democrats have indicated their intention to further investigate what Gates knew about Epstein’s criminal conduct and the precise nature of their dealings.
Wednesday's session was not recorded on video, but a transcript is expected to be released. Gates arrived well-prepared for his testimony, having retained former Justice Department attorney John Moran and received coaching from Jake Greenberg, a former senior investigator for the Oversight Committee. Ethics analysts noted the unusual optics of this preparation, though no rules were found to have been broken.
