A key development in the ongoing congressional investigation into the crimes of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has emerged, with lawmakers confirming that Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates will appear before the U.S. House Oversight Committee to answer questions about his past interactions with Epstein. The hearing has been formally scheduled for June 10, marking Gates as the latest high-profile public figure to commit to testifying in the probe.
A spokesperson for Gates confirmed to the BBC that Gates “is looking forward to answering all the committee’s questions to support their important work.” To date, no accusations of misconduct related to Epstein’s crimes have been leveled against Gates by any of Epstein’s victims, and his inclusion in the investigation’s documentary record does not carry any implication of criminal wrongdoing on his part.
Details of Gates’ communications and professional and social connections to Epstein were made public earlier this year as part of a massive document dump ordered by federal law. The U.S. Department of Justice has already released more than three million pages of records from the Epstein investigation, but millions more documents are still being held back from public disclosure. The 2024 legislation requiring the full release of Epstein investigation files was signed into law by former President Donald Trump last November, which is what paved the way for the exposure of previously undisclosed details of Gates’ relationship with the disgraced financier.
Gates has already addressed his ties to Epstein privately and publicly on multiple occasions. During an internal meeting with staff of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates spoke openly about the relationship and took personal responsibility for his decision to meet with Epstein. A foundation statement following the meeting noted that “Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail.”
According to reporting from The Wall Street Journal, Gates apologized to foundation staff for the association, and confirmed he had two extramarital affairs with Russian women that Epstein later discovered. When discussing his connection to Epstein, Gates told staff: “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit.”
In a public interview with Australia’s 9News earlier this year, Gates expanded on his explanation of the relationship, saying his interactions with Epstein were limited to informal dinners and that he never traveled to Epstein’s private island where many of the financier’s abuses took place. “Every minute I spent with him I regret and I apologise that I did that,” Gates told the outlet.
A subsequent statement from Gates’ spokesperson to the BBC further clarified Gates’ position, emphasizing that the Microsoft co-founder never attended social gatherings with Epstein and had no involvement whatsoever in any illegal activities linked to the late financier. “While Mr. Gates acknowledges that meeting with Epstein was a serious error in judgment, he unequivocally denies any improper conduct related to Epstein and the horrible activities in which Epstein was involved,” the spokesperson said.
The request for Gates’ testimony, which was sent in a formal letter dated March 3, comes as the House Oversight Committee continues to gather testimony from a string of high-profile figures connected to Epstein. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, already appeared before the committee for questioning in February. Upcoming testimony is expected from U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi in the coming weeks.