Gates says he had no personal relationship with Epstein

Billionaire Bill Gates told a congressional committee on Wednesday that he never had a personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and cut ties with the convicted sex offender when he could not deliver on fundraising for the Microsoft founder’s philanthropic efforts, the BBC writes.

Gates also shed light on his marital infidelities, saying Epstein had used them to pressure him.

In his opening statement, Gates said he never witnessed Epstein engaged in ongoing criminal conduct, nor had any indication of it.

“I never went to his island, his ranch, or his Florida home. I have never victimized anyone,” he said. “While he may have sought to foster a personal relationship, I was never interested in that and never reciprocated.”

Gates appeared voluntarily in Washington at a closed-door hearing with the House Oversight Committee looking into Epstein and reportedly named powerful people Epstein approached for fundraising.