Bill Gates says Jeffrey Epstein tried to use extramarital affairs to blackmail him

Billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates testified before a US congressional committee on Wednesday that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Espstein tried to blackmail him by using his extramarital affairs against him.

Testifying behind closed doors to the House Oversight Committee as part of the US Justice Department's Epstein probe, Gates said Epstein exploited information about his affairs outside of his marriage to then-wife Melinda Gates "to pressure me to re-engage with him" after Gates said he had begun to sever ties with Epstein.

A representative for Gates released a copy of his prepared statement to the committee, in which he repeated prior public comments that he regretted having anything to do with Epstein, but that he did not engage in any "criminal conduct" and "never victimized anyone."

Gates' interactions with Epstein came to light after Epstein was arrested by federal authorities in 2019 on sex trafficking charges. The billionaire's association with Epstein took a hit to Gates' public reputation, contributed to the deterioration of his marriage, and prompted his charitable foundation this year to authorize a new external review of Gates' ties to the convicted felon, who died while awaiting trial on the sex trafficking charges.

"In the work I do, reputation is the basis for developing partnerships that save lives. Meeting with Epstein was a grave error in judgment and put this work at risk," Gates said in his statement. "His behavior was antithetical to all my efforts to contribute to a world where everyone has a chance to live a healthy and productive life."

Gates began his dealings with Epstein in 2011, even though the disgraced financier pleaded guilty about three years earlier to soliciting prostitution from a minor in the state of Florida. Epstein's guilty plea followed a controversial non-prosecution agreement with the federal government, which ended an investigation into allegations that Epstein had regularly sexually abused dozens of teenage girls, some as young as 14 years old.

-'Did not fully understand' the extent of Epstein's crimes, says Gates

Gates admitted that he should have done more homework on Epstein before he agreed to meet with him in 2011.

"I recall being aware that Epstein had faced prior legal issues, but I did not fully understand the extent of the crimes he committed," said Gates. "I accepted the introduction without applying the scrutiny I should have."

Gates had several meetings with Epstein through December 2014, saying they were mainly to discuss the possibility of setting up a charitable fund, which never came to fruition. Gates said Epstein then tried to use his extramarital affairs to blackmail him into re-engaging their talks.

"It was after this that I learned Epstein had become aware of sensitive information about my personal life, including the fact that I had been unfaithful in my marriage," said Gates. "These affairs had nothing to do with my interactions with Epstein, but they were painful for my family."

"As the public can now see, based on what has been released in the files, Epstein was working to use information about my infidelities ... to pressure me to re-engage with him." Gates continued. "He was unsuccessful in his effort, but it shows some of the ways he tried to leverage his interactions with me to further his agenda."

Gates told Congress that he was "deeply sorry" that he had engaged with Epstein in any capacity.

"I should never have met with Epstein in the first place," he said. "Based on what I know now, I understand that even if he had delivered the new donors he promised, it would not have justified associating with him."