Microsoft Founder Bill Gates on Wednesday morning expressed deep regret for associating with notorious criminal Jeffrey Epstein as he began testifying behind closed doors before a House panel, according to an opening statement the billionaire posted online.
Gates, 70, denied that he witnessed any criminal activity by Epstein and denied that he harassed anyone in his testimony before the House and Government Reform Committee.
Gates’ testimony comes a day after the committee questioned Epstein’s longtime former aide, Lesley Groff. Transcripts of his testimony are expected to be released in the next few days.
He said he first met Epstein in 2011 — three years after the attacker pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting an underage girl for sex — as part of an effort to raise money for the philanthropic Gates Foundation and its global health work.
But that never led to an offer, according to Gates. And he said Epstein later tried to use information about Gates’ cheating on his then-wife, Melinda Gates, as a way to get his way back into a relationship with Gates.
“I wouldn’t have met Epstein in the first place,” Gates said.
“From what I know now, I understand that even if he had delivered the new sponsors he had promised, it would not be right to associate with him.”
“I want to be very clear: I never witnessed and never had any indication that Epstein was involved in any criminal activity,” said Gates, who has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
“I never went to his island, his farm, or his house in Florida. I never hurt anybody,” Gates said. “Although he may have wanted to strengthen a personal relationship, I wasn’t interested in that and I didn’t reciprocate.”
The billionaire noted that his association with Epstein jeopardized the work of the Gates Foundation, one of the world’s largest philanthropic foundations, with a reported endowment of more than $70 billion.
“In the work I do, dignity is the basis for developing relationships that save people’s lives,” said Gates. “Meeting Epstein was a huge lapse in judgment and put the project in jeopardy.”
“His behavior was contrary to all my efforts to contribute to a world where everyone has the opportunity to live a healthy and productive life.”
“I see now that he wanted to create an image of legitimacy around himself, using connections with respected and powerful people to deflect attention and try to restore his reputation,” Gates said.
“I was so focused on the possibility of raising funds for global health that I allowed that goal to override my better judgment. That’s a sobering observation, and it emphasized to me the importance of paying more attention to how access and dignity can be handled by people acting in bad faith.”
Gates is the latest in a series of high-profile people to testify at the subcommittee about their ties to Epstein.
That connection has received a lot of media attention since late 2025 after the release of millions of pages of documents about the investigation into Epstein by the Department of Justice and Congress.
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., a member of the committee, told reporters, “We are very interested in understanding who was in Epstein’s orbit.
“We will certainly be asking about other emails that were in the files as they relate to the possible activities of Mr. Gates and Mr. Epstein,” Garcia said.
In his opening statement, Gates said, “I am here to answer your questions about my dealings with Jeffrey Epstein and to help contribute to the important work of the Committee.”
“I support the release of all of the Epstein files and sincerely hope that, through your efforts and those of other advocates, the survivors of Epstein’s crimes can receive the justice they deserve.”
Epstein cultivated a wealth of rich, powerful, and successful people during his unpopular career as a money manager.
Among his longtime friends was President Donald Trump. The two men had a falling out in the early 2000s.
Epstein is accused of sexually abusing dozens of girls and young women. In 2008, he pleaded guilty in Florida state court to charges related to soliciting an underage girl.
Epstein served 13 months in prison for the case, although he spent most of his day on probation. He committed suicide at the age of 66 in a New York prison in August 2019, a few weeks after being imprisoned for child sex trafficking.
Gates said he was introduced to Epstein “by people I trusted in my professional and philanthropic work.”
“Epstein said he could raise billions of dollars in global health from people who provide tax and housing services,” Gates said.
He said he remembered it “because I knew Epstein had been in trouble with the law before, but I didn’t fully understand the extent of the crimes he committed.”
“I accepted the introduction without applying the due diligence I should have done,” Gates said.
He said he had three meetings with Epstein in 2011 and two meetings in 2012, “at which time I talked about my career goals.”
“We began extensive discussions in 2013 and 2014. Discussions focused on identifying potential donor agencies, such as donor-advised funds, and how to enroll people who say they are interested in making a tangible contribution,” Gates said.
He also said: “I made it clear to Epstein from the start that he would never play a role in any work or receive compensation.
In 2014, “after Epstein assembled a group that he described as potential donors, I realized that our previous discussions – which should have translated into meaningful and useful support – were dead ends.”
“It was clear that no one on the team was interested in moving forward,” said Gates.
“At that point, I concluded that Epstein was not going to keep his promises,” Gates said. “I told him that we can’t take it any further and I stopped contacting him or meeting him. No charity vehicle was ever created and no money was released.”
Gates said afterward, “I learned that Epstein already had sensitive information about my personal life, including the fact that I had been unfaithful in my marriage.”
“This news has nothing to do with my connection to Epstein, but it was heartbreaking for my family,” Gates said.
“As the public can now see, based on what was released from the files, Epstein was working to use the information about my infidelity — in addition to the many lies he put forward — to pressure me into getting involved with him again,” Gates said.
“He was unsuccessful in this effort, but it shows some of the ways he tried to work with me to further his agenda.”
“If the time I spent with Epstein gave him credibility, I’m very sorry,” Gates said.
“I learned a valuable lesson and now I am more careful about who I deal with even in a limited position.”
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., a member of the committee, told reporters, “I look forward to learning more about what Bill Gates saw about Jeffrey Epstein and women.”
“I find it very strange that Bill Gates is associated with Jeffrey Epstein, that Jeffrey Epstein got his claws into Microsoft and knew many officials there, so I think that will be more reasons to ask questions going forward,” said Krishnamoorthi.
The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Gates was preparing his testimony with the help of Jake Greenberg, who until December was the chief counsel of the committee responsible for the investigation.
CNBC has reached out to Greenberg for comment.
In February, Gates apologized to staff at a Gates Foundation town hall for his meeting with Epstein, and admitted that he had affairs with two Russian women, according to The Wall Street Journal, noting that Epstein was already aware of the affairs.
“I didn’t do anything illegal. I didn’t see anything illegal,” Gates said during the mea culpa, according to the Journal.
But Gates reportedly said at the event that “it was a big mistake to spend time with Epstein” and to bring foundation executives into meetings with Epstein.
“I apologize to the other people who got into this because of the mistake I made,” said Gates.
The Gates Foundation previously announced it had commissioned an external review of the philanthropy’s previous relationship with Epstein. The foundation said it expects the board and its administration to receive an update on the review this summer.
Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett, a longtime friend of Gates, told CNBC’s Becky Quick in late March that he had not spoken to the Microsoft founder “since everything” about the Epstein files was “revealed.”
“I don’t want to be in a situation where I know things … to be called as a witness,” Buffett said. “I think until it’s clear, it doesn’t make sense to talk too much.”
Buffett called Epstein a fraud who exploited other people’s weaknesses.
“Men will like sex … and some of them will like not to pay taxes, and he found out their weakness,” said Buffett.
Buffett has donated more than $43 billion to the Gates Foundation since 2006.
– Karen James Sloan contributed to this report.
