Bill Gates Admits Meeting Jeffrey Epstein 'Was A Huge Mistake'

If Bill Gates could channel his inner Cher and turn back time, he would not break bread with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

What Happened: In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, the Microsoft Corporation MSFT co-founder and former CEO insisted that he only met with Epstein to secure funding for his foundation’s global health initiatives.

“I had several dinners with him, you know, hoping that what he said about getting billions of philanthropy for global health through contacts that he had might emerge,” Gates said. “When it looked like that wasn't a real thing, that relationship ended.”

Epstein was indicted and imprisoned in July 2019 on federal charges of operating a sex trafficking ring that resulted in his sexual abuse of dozens of underage girls. He was found dead in a New York City jail cell in August 2019, which was ruled a suicide by the city’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

What Else Happened: Gates deflected a question on whether his association with Epstein played a role in the collapse of his marriage to Melinda Gates. The couple’s divorce was finalized this week and Gates referred to the situation as “a time of reflection, and at this point, I need to go forward.”

Gates added that he hoped to continue working with his ex-wife at their eponymous foundation.

“That would definitely be the best thing for the foundation,” Gates said. “Melinda has incredible strengths that she brings that help the foundation be better.”

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Photo: OnInnovation / Flickr Creative Commons.