Microsoft co-founder Invoice Gates will face questions on Wednesday about his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, marking one of the vital high-profile interviews performed by the Home Oversight Committee because it started probing the federal government’s dealing with of its investigations into the infamous intercourse offender.
Gates has known as his relationship with Epstein a “mistake” and has denied witnessing or collaborating in any crimes, although his affiliation with the late financier has roiled his nonprofit and reshaped the general public notion of the tech billionaire who was as soon as the world’s richest man.
“I used to be silly to spend time with him. I used to be one in all many individuals who remorse ever realizing him,” Gates stated in February.
Home Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) first reached out to Gates in March to schedule the behind-closed-doors interview, writing in a letter that the tech billionaire may “have info that can help in its investigation.” In current weeks, the Committee has performed related transcribed interviews with former Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Epstein’s longtime government secretary Lesley Groff.
“Gates welcomes the chance to look earlier than the Committee,” a spokesperson for Gates stated in March. “Whereas he by no means witnessed or participated in any of Epstein’s unlawful conduct, he’s trying ahead to answering all of the committee’s inquiries to assist their essential work.”
Gates’ relationship with Epstein confronted a brand new wave of scrutiny earlier this yr when the Division of Justice’s launch of Epstein information included correspondence between the 2 males, in addition to cryptic notes drafted by Epstein that hinted at Gates’ extramarital affairs.
Based on the Wall Road Journal, Gates apologized to the workers of his nonprofit throughout a city corridor in February and acknowledged that he had affairs with two Russian girls that Epstein later found. A spokesperson for Gates in a 2023 assertion stated that Epstein “tried unsuccessfully to leverage a previous relationship to threaten Mr. Gates.”
Invoice Gates in January 2026 on the annual World Financial Discussion board assembly in Davos, Switzerland.
Denis Balibouse/Reuters, FILE
“Within the city corridor, Invoice spoke candidly, addressing a number of questions intimately, and took accountability for his actions,” a spokesperson for the Gates Basis informed ABC Information.
Melinda French Gates — who beforehand stated her 2021 divorce from Invoice Gates was pushed partially by his affiliation with Epstein — stated earlier this yr that the paperwork introduced again recollections of “some very, very painful occasions” of their marriage.
“No matter questions stay there … these questions are for these folks, and for even my ex-husband,” she stated on NPR’s Wild Card podcast about what she described as a societal “reckoning” over the Epstein information. “They should reply to these issues, not me.”
Gates is anticipated to face a few of these questions on Wednesday when he speaks with the Home Oversight Committee about his relationship with Epstein. Members of the Committee have expressed a need to be taught whether or not Epstein used his intercourse trafficking community to lure in rich and influential males to blackmail — allegations that the DOJ and FBI stated they discovered “no credible proof” of final yr.
Neither of the ladies who Gates acknowledged having affairs with — a Russian bridge participant and nuclear physicist — had been stated to have been launched to Gates by Epstein, although a spokesperson later stated that Epstein sought to “leverage” his data of one in all his previous relationships to “threaten” Gates.
The interview can also be prone to contact on how Epstein was capable of ingratiate himself with Gates simply three years after pleading responsible to costs of soliciting a minor for prostitution. Gates has beforehand stated he was conscious of an “18-month factor” that restricted Epstein’s journey, and he regrets not additional investigating Epstein’s background.
Based on paperwork launched earlier this yr by the Division of Justice, Gates first met Epstein in 2011.
“I will not have time to do one other assembly and I will not be capable to do the dinner with Jeff Epstein,” Gates wrote in a 2010 e-mail to Boris Nikolic, his former science advisor. “I used to be trying ahead to the dinner.”
Gates later stated he hoped he might leverage Epstein’s relationships with “very wealthy folks” to assist his world well being philanthropic efforts.
“The main focus was at all times: he knew a whole lot of very wealthy folks, and he was saying he might get them to offer cash to world well being. Looking back, that was a useless finish,” Gates informed 9News Australia in February.
Based on paperwork launched by the DOJ, each males continued to speak for no less than three years, with Epstein at one level urging Gates to make use of a selected philanthropic car referred to as a “donor suggested fund” to make charitable contributions. On the time, Epstein in contrast donor suggested funds to “cloud computing for the giving world.”
“It’s a good analogy,” Gates wrote in a February 2014 e-mail. “It’s clearer to me now than earlier than and it may very well be a terrific factor.”
However by December 2014, Gates appeared to chill on Epstein’s proposal, suggesting in an e-mail that the plan was not viable for him.
“When it comes to the DAF I do not suppose now we have any folks at this level who will transfer to do one thing quickly,” Gates wrote. “It’s a good suggestion, but it surely will not come along with 4-6 companions anytime quickly.”
In a press release earlier this yr, the Gates Basis stated it didn’t transfer ahead with Epstein’s fund and by no means transferred any funds to the disgraced financier.
“On the idea of Epstein’s claims that he might mobilize important philanthropic assets for world well being and improvement, a small variety of basis workers interacted with Epstein to attempt to safe this potential funding. Finally, the muse didn’t pursue any collaboration with Epstein and no fund was ever created,” a spokesperson for the Gates Basis stated in February.
By March, the Gates Basis commissioned an exterior overview to evaluate its previous engagement with Epstein in addition to its insurance policies for vetting philanthropic partnerships. Basis officers stated in a press release they anticipated to get an replace about that overview later this summer time.
