Bill Gates Regrets “Foolish” Decision To “Spend Time” With Jeffrey Epstein

Billionaire Bill Gates is once again making an effort to clarify his controversial connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, acknowledging that his association with the disgraced financier was a “significant error.” Nevertheless, for many, the Microsoft co-founder’s justifications prompt more inquiries than they resolve.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Gates, now 69 years old, characterized his involvement with Epstein as a misjudgment. “Looking back, I was unwise to spend any time with him,” he admitted. “I believe I was rather foolish. I thought it would assist me in global health philanthropy. In reality, it did not achieve that. It was simply a significant error.” However, despite Gates’ tone of regret, the narrative of how he became entangled with Epstein — and why he maintained his involvement after Epstein’s crimes became public knowledge — continues to attract scrutiny.

Epstein, who passed away in 2019 under questionable circumstances while awaiting trial for sex trafficking, had reportedly leveraged his connections with influential figures like Gates to bolster his own reputation. The relationship between Gates and Epstein reportedly involved numerous meetings and discussions regarding philanthropy, but it appears Epstein had hidden agendas. In 2017, Epstein allegedly threatened to reveal Gates’ purported affair with Russian bridge player Mila Antonova after Gates opted not to invest in Epstein’s JPMorgan-backed charitable fund.

The shadow of that affair looms significantly. Epstein reportedly became acquainted with Antonova as early as 2013 and even financed her education in software coding. Gates, for his part, allegedly had a relationship with Antonova during his marriage to Melinda French Gates, which lasted from 1994 to 2021. The divorce, finalized shortly after Epstein’s name surfaced in the public domain, has only intensified suspicions regarding Gates’ judgment. Melinda has openly expressed her disapproval of her ex-husband’s connection with Epstein, citing it as one of the factors that led her to end their 27-year marriage.

“I was not fond of his meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no. I made that clear to him,” Melinda stated during a 2022 interview with CBS. She recalled her encounter with Epstein, expressing, “I regretted it the moment I entered the room. He was detestable. He embodied evil. My heart aches for these women.”

In spite of these disclosures, Gates maintains that his motives were entirely philanthropic. In a 2021 interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, he reaffirmed that his interactions with Epstein were intended to secure “billions for philanthropy in global health.” Nevertheless, critics contend that Gates, being one of the richest individuals globally, hardly required Epstein’s assistance to support his charitable initiatives.

Compounding the intrigue, Gates recently informed The Times of London that his divorce from Melinda is the “mistake” he regrets the most. Meanwhile, both have moved forward — Melinda is in a relationship with entrepreneur Philip Vaughn, while Gates is now dating Paula Hurd. However, no degree of personal transformation can eliminate the doubts regarding his judgment in associating with Epstein.

For a man who has consistently portrayed himself as a global benefactor, Gates’ readiness to collaborate with a convicted sex offender casts a pall over his meticulously crafted image. Was his connection with Epstein genuinely a “mistake,” or merely a miscalculated risk? For many, Gates’ regrets arrive too late to be deemed credible.