Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that he has never victimized anyone and never had any indication that Jeffrey Epstein was engaged in criminal activity. In prepared opening remarks for his voluntary interview, Gates described Epstein as an unreliable and vindictive figure he turned to for philanthropic fundraising, while strongly backing the panel's investigation.
“At the outset, I want to state very clearly: I never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct. I never went to his island, his ranch, or his Florida home. I have never victimized anyone. While he may have sought to foster a personal relationship, I was never interested in that and never reciprocated,” Gates said in his opening statement.
Gates acknowledged he was introduced to Epstein in 2011, after Epstein's sex crime conviction, and that Epstein claimed he could help raise money for global health efforts. “I recall being aware that Epstein had faced prior legal issues, but I did not fully understand the extent of the crimes he committed. I accepted the introduction without applying the scrutiny I should have,” Gates added. He said he realized by 2014 that the discussions were a “dead-end” and ceased communication with Epstein in December of that year.
Before the interview, Gates gave a brief statement to reporters: “I hope my testimony is helpful to the hard work of the committee to find justice for the victims.” Representative James Comer (R-Ky.), the Oversight chair, requested Gates appear in March after documents related to Epstein were released by the Department of Justice. “We just want to know about his relationship with Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell,” Comer said. “What did he see? Did he know what was going on? Was he involved in any of this? … No one's accusing Bill Gates of any wrongdoing, and I certainly appreciate him coming in voluntarily.”
The probe comes amid broader oversight efforts, including an investigation into alleged misuse of park fees and a separate probe by the Texas attorney general into World Cup ticket sales. Epstein sent himself two emails on July 18, 2013, that were apparent drafts to Gates containing unverified allegations of extramarital affairs. In one, Epstein claimed Gates asked him to delete emails about a sexually transmitted disease and requested antibiotics to give his then-wife, Melinda French Gates. Another email alleged Epstein helped Gates “get drugs” to “deal with consequences of sex with russian girls.”
In his prepared statement, Gates said, “Epstein was working to use information about my infidelities—in addition to many lies that he layered on top—to pressure me to re-engage with him.” Comer noted those emails would likely be addressed “in the first hour of questioning.” The New York Times reported Tuesday that Gates prepared for the interview with the help of Jake Greenberg, the former chief investigations counsel for the House Oversight Committee, who left the post in December 2025.
Gates concluded his opening remarks by calling the association a “grave error in judgment” that put his philanthropic work at risk. “If the time I spent with Epstein lent him any credibility, I am deeply sorry. I have learned a significant lesson and am now far more careful about who I engage with even in a limited capacity,” he said.
