Bill Gates has once again addressed his past relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, asserting that Epstein manipulated his focus on philanthropy to gain access to him. In an interview with The Atlantic published Thursday, the Microsoft co-founder stated that Epstein leveraged promises of massive charitable donations to global health causes to secure meetings.
“He definitely had connections with billionaires, a lot of them. And, in a sense, you could say he found my weak point,” Gates said. He explained that Epstein claimed he could facilitate tens of billions of dollars in donations for global health, which Gates described as the primary driver for their interactions. Gates maintained that their relationship was strictly professional, stating, “There was never any social thing. I never went to the island. I was never introduced to any women.”
This report draws on information published by breitbart.com.
Addressing why he met with Epstein after the latter’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor, Gates claimed he believed Epstein had fulfilled his legal obligations to the justice system. “I thought he had served the time, just like all sorts of ex-convicts that the foundation works with in trying to get them back into the labor market,” he noted.
Gates acknowledged that the decision to engage with Epstein reflected poor judgment. He also addressed reports regarding attempted extortion, stating that Epstein had learned of his past extramarital affairs and attempted to use that information against him. Gates has consistently denied any involvement in or knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities.