‘It was a huge mistake’: Bill Gates regrets meeting convicted sex offender Epstein
Bill Gates and his wife Melinda French Gates announced their divorce in May, triggering media scrutiny of the Microsoft co-founder's alleged extramarital affairs.
Microsoft principal founder Bill Gates said he regrets his meetings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was also accused of child sex trafficking. Speaking to CNN, the tech billionaire said he had “several dinners” with Epstein in hopes of raising billions of dollars for combating global health issues. Gates claimed that the relationship ended as soon as he realised Epstein’s assurance regarding the philanthropy project wasn’t a “real thing.”
"I had several dinners with him, you know, hoping that what he said about getting billions of philanthropy for global health through contacts that he had might emerge. When it looked like that wasn't a real thing, that relationship ended," the Microsoft co-founder said.
Bill Gates and his wife Melinda French Gates announced their divorce in May, triggering media scrutiny of the former’s alleged extramarital affairs. According to Wall Street Journal, Melinda had been working with the divorce lawyer for over a year before the duo announced their separation, partly because of her husband’s dealings with Epstein.
Also Read | Bill Gates, Melinda French officially divorced: Report
Epstein, who had pleaded guilty in two state prostitution charges and had registered as a sex offender, hanged himself in 2019 awaiting a sex trafficking trial.
"It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there," Gates told CNN while declining to respond to the WSJ report that linked his divorce with the Epstein connection.
"It's a time of reflection, and at this point, I need to go forward," he added.
Earlier this week, a King County Superior Court judge signed the dissolution decree finalising the divorce of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. The duo has decided to continue working as co-chairs of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the most influential private foundations in the world. However, if any of them decide that they can’t work together, French Gates will resign her position as co-chair and trustee and will receive personal resources from Gates for her philanthropic work, the foundation said.