Bill Gates appeared voluntarily June 10 before the U.S. House Oversight Committee to answer questions about his past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving minors [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10].

Gates called his meetings with Epstein a "grave error in judgment" and said he regretted ever knowing him. "I was foolish to spend time with him. I was one of many people who regret ever knowing him," Gates told lawmakers [1, 5, 6, 9, 10]. He denied witnessing or having any indication Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct. "I never went to his island, his ranch, or his Florida home. I have never victimized anyone," Gates said [1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9].

Gates testified that Epstein pressured him by using sensitive information about his extramarital affairs. Epstein reportedly sought to build legitimacy by associating with powerful figures like Gates [2, 4, 11, 5]. Gates acknowledged having affairs with two Russian women but denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein [1, 3].

Documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice in January 2026 linked Gates thousands of times to Epstein and included photos and emails with disputed allegations about Gates’ personal life [1, 3, 5]. Gates said he cut ties with Epstein when Epstein failed to deliver expected fundraising for his philanthropic foundation [2].

The hearing included other prominent figures questioned by the committee, including Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick [2, 3, 6, 8]. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer said, "No one’s accusing Bill Gates of any wrongdoing, and I certainly appreciate him coming in voluntarily" [8]. Rep. Robert Garcia criticized Gates for continuing to interact with Epstein after knowing about his conviction, saying "That’s something that Mr Gates has to atone for" [5].

Epstein had been in jail for 13 months after a 2008 conviction before his 2019 death [4, 11]. His longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence [1, 2, 3, 6].

The committee’s investigation continues following the release of millions of pages of documents involving Epstein and his network. Gates’ testimony comes amid broader scrutiny of Epstein’s ties to influential figures.

Gates’ voluntary appearance before the committee is the latest step in congressional inquiries related to the Epstein case.