Updated June 10, 2026 at 4:34 PM PDT
Bill Gates appeared before members of Congress on Wednesday and said he never witnessed or knew about any of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes.
Gates was on Capitol Hill to answer questions about his relationship with Epstein, as the House Oversight Committee continues its investigation into the late sex offender. He took part in a closed-door transcribed interview.
"I'm glad to be here voluntarily to testify to help with the committee's work," Gates told reporters before the interview. "I hope my testimony is helpful to the important work of the committee to find justice for the victims.
In the text of his prepared opening statement, Gates described how he first met Epstein in 2011 through people in his "professional and philanthropic work" on global health. He continued to have conversations with Epstein through 2014 about potential donors, according to the statement. Gates said he was 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 said. He added that he "made it clear to Epstein from the outset that he would never play a role in any of the work or receive any compensation."
Gates says Epstein used information about his infidelities to pressure him
Gates also admitted to extramarital affairs in the statement and said Epstein used that information to "pressure me to re-engage with him." Gates said Epstein was unsuccessful in his effort.
Lawmakers said they've seen Epstein try to blackmail powerful people before.
"He uses that over and over again," Rep. Robert Garcia, the lead Democrat on the committee, said of Epstein during a break in the interview. "The theme of blackmail, the theme of using his power and information against others is very common."
Gates said he realized in 2014 that Epstein "would never deliver on his promises" and stopped communicating or meeting with him.
"I should never have met with Epstein in the first place," Gates said.
The committee interview was not recorded, in contrast to the videotaped appearances earlier this year of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to the committee. The Republican-led committee will, instead, release a transcript in the days afterward, as it did after the appearances of former Attorney General Pam Bondi and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Gates says he met with Epstein after his conviction in efforts to secure "billions" in charitable donations
Rep. Melanie Stansbury, a Democrat from New Mexico, said she directly asked Gates why he continued to associate with Epstein even though he was a registered sex offender. She said he responded that "getting billions of dollars for global health was worth it."
"He admitted that he knew of Mr. Epstein's reputation. He admitted that he knew that he had been convicted of sexual crimes. But ultimately, in his words, he viewed this narrow relationship as being an acceptable means to access wealthy donors," Stansbury said.
Other lawmakers, like Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee, called the questioning "intense," but said Gates was "well-coached" in his answers and he didn't expect too much new information.
Overall, Burchett said it's clear to him that Epstein was "a friend collector."
"He just liked to have people around him that were a big deal," Burchett said.
From his view, Garcia said Gates was "being cooperative in answering the questions, but he's certainly pushing back."
The Microsoft cofounder and philanthropist is one of many influential people whose names appear in the Department of Justice documents about the disgraced financier. Appearing in the files is not necessarily an indication of criminal wrongdoing.
Gates' name appears numerous times in the Epstein files. He allegedly met with Epstein multiple times after the financier's conviction in 2008 for sex crimes that involved minors. An email indicates that Gates planned to travel on Epstein's private plane in 2013. Gates also appears in photos with Epstein and others whose faces are redacted. In his opening statement, Gates did not address any travel on Epstein's plane, but said he never went to Epstein's island, ranch or Florida home.
Epstein was arrested a second time in July 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges and later died in prison. Authorities determined his death was a suicide.
Epstein's emails also mention Gates' ex-wife, Melinda French Gates. In one instance, Epstein claims, in an email that appears to be sent to himself, that he helped Bill Gates get medication to treat an STI from "sex with Russian girls." Epstein also said that Gates had wanted to try to give that medication to French Gates in secret.
Gates did not directly address the email in his opening statement, but he said Epstein became aware of "sensitive information about my personal life," including his affairs.
French Gates told NPR in February that the emails in the Epstein files filled her with "unbelievable sadness" and reminded her of problems she faced in her marriage.
"Whatever questions remain there of what — I can't even begin to know all of it — those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband," French Gates said. "They need to answer to those things, not me."
A spokesperson for Bill Gates also told NPR earlier this year: "These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false. The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein's frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame."
Survivors of Epstein's abuse continue to call for justice and transparency from the committee's investigation. Annie Farmer, who testified publicly that Epstein and co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell sexually abused her at Epstein's New Mexico ranch when she was 16, told NPR on Monday that a lot of people don't realize how long and personal Epstein and Gates' relationship was, and "it's fair" for Gates to answer questions about that connection.
"What we've seen so far is that a lot of people have taken the stance of just wanting to cover for themselves and have not offered real information," Farmer said of some of the high-profile appearances before the committee. "With each person that comes, there's an opportunity to do something different, and I hope that [Gates] chooses to do that."
Committee chair Rep. James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, told reporters that he has been meeting with survivors and asking them to read the transcripts of the depositions.
"If the survivors see any things that were said in the depositions and interviews that aren't true, we're working with them to try to get evidence to figure out if the witnesses were lying," he said.
What's next for the committee's probe
On Tuesday, the committee interviewed Epstein's longtime assistant, Lesley Groff. Groff's name appears in thousands of Epstein documents, and was involved in scheduling meetings and planning times for girls to meet with Epstein. Groff denied any knowledge or participation in Epstein's crimes.
Along with Gates and Groff, this summer the committee plans to interview billionaire investor Leon Black, former Bill Clinton aide Doug Band, former Goldman Sachs lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler, and former Barclays CEO Jes Staley, according to Comer. Comer also said on Wednesday that he would be asking law professor Alan Dershowitz to come for an interview.
Garcia said he also wants to subpoena both acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel to testify in the investigation. Comer said on Wednesday he wants Blanche to come before the committee in July, but emphasized that Blanche also spoke before the committee with then-Attorney General Pam Bondi for a briefing in March. Democrats walked out of that briefing.
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