Bill Gates holds twice-a-year closed-door town halls for his Gates Foundation staff, and he was quite candid in his answers to their questions on Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal, which obtained a recording of the town hall, reports the Microsoft co-founder apologized for meeting with Jeffrey Epstein, calling it "a huge mistake" that damaged the foundation's reputation. Gates said he began seeing Epstein in 2011 and continued through 2014:
He described being only hazily aware of the "18-month thing" that had curtailed Epstein's travel (that would be his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor) and failed to dig into his background. He also said he continued meeting with Epstein after then-wife Melinda French Gates expressed skepticism in 2013. He acknowledged two extramarital affairs with Russian women—"one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities"—and said Epstein learned of them through Gates' then-science adviser; Epstein later appeared to use that knowledge to pressure him.
Gates insisted he never witnessed or joined in Epstein's abuse, never met any of his victims, and "never stayed overnight" when traveling with Epstein: "I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit." Gates said photos of him with unidentified women in newly released Epstein files were photos Epstein requested he pose for with Epstein's assistants following meetings. Gates conceded that his relationship with Epstein ran counter to the foundation's values. "Our work is very reputational sensitive," he told staff. "I mean, people can choose to work with us or not work with us." Read the full article for more on how Epstein learned of Gates' affairs.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
