Bill Gates told a House committee Wednesday that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein tried to leverage information about marital infidelity by the Microsoft founder against him.
The billionaire told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that the infidelity was separate from his ties with Epstein, who was charged in 2019 with sex trafficking of minors. Gates added that he was not aware of any criminal activity by Epstein while they maintained a relationship.
“I learned Epstein had become aware of sensitive information about my personal life, including the fact that I had been unfaithful in my marriage,” Gates said. “These affairs had nothing to do with my interactions with Epstein, but they were painful for my family.”
This marked the committee’s 15th interview in its investigation of Epstein’s ties to powerful individuals and how the government handled its probe of Epstein. Epstein was known for spending time with leaders in the corporate and political world, including Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.
While Gates’ interview with committee members was behind closed doors, and members were given one hour of question time, his written opening statement was made public. A full transcript of the interview will be released at a later date.
Gates said he initially thought Epstein would be a financial supporter of charitable efforts by the Gates Foundation. He said he later “concluded Epstein would never deliver on his promises.”
Gates said in his statement that it was a “grave error” to ever talk with Epstein. They first talked three years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction in Florida.
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to felony solicitation of prostitution, as well as procurement of minors to engage in prostitution. He was arrested again in 2019 on new sex trafficking charges. Epstein died in a New York prison cell in 2019, which investigators determined was a suicide. His business associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was sentenced in 2022 for conspiring with Epstein to sexually exploit and abuse minor girls.