Caught in the Epstein Files saga, Bill Gates is now saying sorry. Gates, who pulled out of India AI Impact Summit earlier after a backlash, has now issued a public apology to Gates Foundation staff after newly released Epstein-related documents reignited controversy over his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. According to a statement shared with Reuters by a Foundation spokesperson, Gates “took responsibility for his actions” during a recent town hall meeting, where he addressed questions surrounding his ties to Epstein.
At the town hall, Gates also reportedly acknowledged that he had two affairs with Russian women, as mentioned in the Epstein Files, but clarified that those relationships were not connected to Epstein’s victims. The Microsoft co-founder’s remarks followed fresh scrutiny after details of his past interactions with Epstein resurfaced in media reports.
The criticism surrounding Gates followed after the publication of US Department of Justice records and images detailing multiple meetings between Gates and Epstein. The documents included photographs of the Microsoft co-founder posing with women whose faces were redacted.
During the internal meeting, Gates reportedly told staff that spending time with Epstein and involving senior Foundation executives in meetings with him was “a huge mistake”. He apologised to those affected within the organisation, saying, “I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made.”
Gates also sought to distance himself from any illegal conduct linked to Epstein. “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” he told employees. He further clarified that he “never spent any time with victims, the women around him”, addressing speculation about the nature of his presence at Epstein-related meetings.
He reiterated that the two affairs Epstein later became aware of were unrelated to Epstein’s criminal activities and did not involve any of the victims.
Notably, earlier this month, the Foundation said it had never made any financial payments to Epstein and had never employed him.
Earlier, Gates cancelled his appearance at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. He had been scheduled to speak at the high-profile event as a leading global voice on technology and philanthropy, alongside Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and other industry leaders.
However, just hours before his expected address, the Gates Foundation announced that he would no longer be participating. In a statement, the Foundation said the decision was taken to ensure that attention remained on the summit’s core agenda rather than the surrounding controversy. “After careful consideration, and to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities, Mr Gates will not be delivering his keynote address,” the statement had noted.
