Bill Gates testifies under oath, accusing Epstein of blackmail attempts over affairs

Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates testified before the House Oversight Committee during a closed-door congressional hearing on Wednesday (June 10). In his opening statement, Gates revealed that disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein attempted to weaponize information about his extramarital affairs to blackmail him into maintaining a relationship.

The four-hour hearing is part of an extensive congressional investigation into the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein case and the network of powerful figures associated with him. The committee has already interviewed high-profile individuals, including former President Bill Clinton and retail magnate Leslie Wexner, to determine if influential figures were shielded from accountability.

According to Gates’s statement, released by his representative ahead of the hearing, Epstein sought to exploit the tech mogul's marital infidelities, layering "many lies" on top of the personal details to gain leverage. Gates stated that Epstein became aware of his sensitive marital issues after Gates began severing ties with him around 2014, following a series of meetings aimed at establishing a charitable donor-advised fund that never materialized. Gates noted that while the extortion attempt was painful for his family, Epstein was ultimately unsuccessful in forcing him to re-engage.

Reflecting on his past connection to Epstein, which began in 2011—three years after Epstein had pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor in Florida—Gates expressed profound regret, calling the association a "grave error in judgment" that tarnished his public reputation and contributed to the erosion of his marriage. Gates admitted that he accepted the introduction without applying proper scrutiny, though he firmly maintained that he never witnessed Epstein engage in any illicit behavior, never visited Epstein’s properties, and has "never victimized anyone."