Bill Gates Admits He Was 'Foolish' to Spend Time With Jeffrey Epstein: 'I Didn't Meet Any Women Through Him'
Bill Gates has admitted he was 'foolish' to spend time with Jeffrey Epstein after being grilled about his relationship with pedophile.
Aug. 27 2026, Published 8:28 a.m. ET
Bill Gates admitted he was "foolish" to spend time with Jeffrey Epstein while being grilled about his friendship with the convicted pedophile.
Breaking Celebrity News can reveal the tech tycoon, 70, insisted he never met any women via Epstein, adding he believed the late financier would assist his philanthropic efforts.
Gates Quizzed On Relationsip With Epstein
Gates was probed by Anderson Cooper on his CNN show.
Gates was appearing on Anderson Cooper's 360 discussing the risks of AI technology when the host changed tact and quizzed him on Epstein, in what was his first television appearance since his behind-closed-doors grilling by the House Oversight Committee.
The CNN host asked Gates about the series of "graphic, unverified" allegations Epstein reportedly made in draft emails from 2013 that were never sent.
The billionaire previously admitted to having extramarital affairs with two Russian women, but Epstein's draft emails alleged he had contracted an STD from the women, and wanted antibiotics to give to his then-wife Melinda.
'He Never Did Blackmail Me'
Gates insists he was not aware Epstein was trying to blackmail him.
Gates opens up about Epstein.
Gates previously said the sordid allegations in the unsent emails were "false."
Asked by Cooper, 59, he he believed Epstein was attempting to “blackmail” him, Gates responded by saying: "No," pointing out how "complicated" the "several hundred pages" of testimony was.
He explained: "I didn’t know that he was considering blackmailing me. He never did blackmail me, but, you know, it just shows how foolish I was to spend time with him."
He also told Cooper he "really appreciated" the opportunity to answer the House Oversight Committee's questions about Epstein.
'It Was A Gigantic Mistake'
Gates opened up about his regrets about Epstein.
Gates explained: "I went through every single meeting, every single email. I didn’t have a social relationship. I didn't meet any women through him," adding the content from the committee is "all public" if people were "curious."
On spending time with Epstein, he said: "I had a misguided view that he could facilitate my raising philanthropic funds for global health.
"It was a gigantic mistake, which I talked about in my testimony, and I've really learned from that. You know, I'm very apologetic that I gave him any credibility at all."
Gates said he was clear with the committee about "what I did do and being very, very clear what I did not."
In his prepared opening statement for the committee in June, Gates admitted Epstein had "become aware of sensitive information about my personal life, including the fact that I had been unfaithful in my marriage.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Gates says Epstein piled on pressure to 're-engage with him.'
"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 — in addition to many lies that he layered on top — to pressure me to re-engage with him," he said in the statement.
He continued: "He was unsuccessful in this effort, but it shows some of the ways he tried to leverage his interaction with me to further his agenda."
Gates said he had never witnessed or had any indication that Epstein was engaging in ongoing criminal conduct. The mogul also said he never went to the pedophile’s island, ranch, or Florida home and had never witnessed any abuse.
