Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told the House Oversight Committee on June 10, 2026, that he never witnessed or had any indication Jeffrey Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct during their interactions, and said Epstein later tried to pressure him using information about Gates’ personal life.
Bill Gates appeared on Capitol Hill on Wednesday for a closed-door, transcribed interview with the Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as part of its investigation into how the federal government handled the Jeffrey Epstein case and the release of related files. In an opening statement, Gates said he was there voluntarily and supported the release of all Epstein files. In remarks he published afterward, Gates said he was introduced to Epstein in 2011 through people he trusted in his professional and philanthropic work and that Epstein claimed he could help raise major funding for global health. Gates said he recalled being aware Epstein had faced prior legal issues, but said he did not fully understand the extent of Epstein’s crimes. Gates said his interactions with Epstein began with a limited number of meetings in 2011 and 2012 and became more extensive in 2013 and 2014, focused on potential giving structures and identifying donors. He said that by 2014 he concluded Epstein “would never deliver on his promises,” and that their interactions ended in December 2014. Gates said no charitable vehicle was created and no funds were raised. In the same statement, Gates said he “never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct,” and added that he never went to Epstein’s island, ranch or Florida home. Gates also said Epstein later became aware of “sensitive information” about his personal life, including that Gates had been unfaithful in his marriage, and that Epstein tried—unsuccessfully—to use that information, along with what Gates called “many lies,” to pressure him to re-engage. Gates called meeting Epstein “a grave error in judgment” and said he should not have met with him. The Oversight Committee has said it intends to publicly release transcripts from its interviews as its inquiry continues. The panel has also sought testimony from other prominent figures with ties to Epstein, including financier Leon Black.