Overview
- Bill Gates testified to the House Oversight Committee in a closed hearing on June 10–11 and said he “should not have met” Jeffrey Epstein, calling the association a serious error of judgment.
- Gates said the interactions occurred roughly between 2011 and 2014 and were arranged by Gates Foundation employee Melanie Walker to seek potential donors, and he ended contact in 2014 when promised donors did not materialize.
- He told lawmakers he never witnessed Epstein committing crimes, denied any knowledge that Epstein was involved in illegal activity, and said he never visited Epstein’s island, ranch, or Florida villa.
- Gates said Epstein attempted to pressure him by leveraging knowledge of Gates’s extramarital affairs, a tactic Gates said he resisted and that factored into his discomfort with the relationship.
- The testimony follows DOJ releases of documents and photos that prompted Rep. James Comer’s subpoenas, and the committee’s inquiry currently centers on oversight and reputational questions rather than criminal charges against Gates.