Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates testified before the US House Oversight Committee on June 10, 2026, answering questions about his past relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The session was held behind closed doors. Gates, however, released his prepared opening remarks publicly, in which he denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and called his decision to associate with the financier a mistake.
What Gates said
In his statement, Gates was direct. He told the committee he never witnessed Epstein engaged in criminal conduct during any of their interactions. He also pushed back against speculation about his personal involvement, stating he never visited Epstein’s island, ranch, or Florida home.
“I have never victimized anyone,” Gates wrote. “While he may have sought to foster a personal relationship, I was never interested in that and never reciprocated.”
Gates said he first met Epstein in 2011. At the time, Epstein had presented himself as someone who could secure large donations for Gates’s global health philanthropic efforts. Gates noted that he was aware Epstein had previous legal issues, but said he did not fully grasp the nature or extent of those crimes.
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The two met three times in 2011 and twice in 2012. Gates said their discussions continued through 2013 and 2014, but ultimately went nowhere. In December 2014, Gates said he cut off all contact.
“I concluded Epstein would never deliver on his promises. I told him we would go no further and stopped communicating or meeting with him,” Gates said. “No vehicle for charitable giving was ever created and no funds were raised.”
The Epstein Files and the coercion claim
Gates also addressed messages that surfaced in the Epstein files. The documents showed Epstein discussing Gates’s extramarital affairs. Gates said Epstein tried to use that information as leverage against him.
“Epstein was working to use information about my infidelities, in addition to many lies that he layered on top, to pressure me to re-engage with him. He was unsuccessful in this effort,” Gates said.
He added that the affairs had nothing to do with his interactions with Epstein, but acknowledged the personal toll they took on his family.
Gates closed his statement by expressing regret over meeting Epstein at all. “If the time I spent with Epstein lent him any credibility, I am deeply sorry,” he said.
The broader Congressional investigation
Wednesday’s testimony was the 15th interview the House Oversight Committee has conducted as part of its Epstein inquiry. The investigation spans political and business circles. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have both appeared before the committee. Former Victoria’s Secret CEO Les Wexner has also testified.
And, former Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared last month, though she was not placed under a sworn deposition. That distinction has become a point of contention, with Democratic members of the committee calling for sworn, recorded testimony from key witnesses.
Committee chair James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, told reporters he was not accusing Gates of wrongdoing and appreciated his voluntary appearance. But Comer made clear the committee wanted specifics.
“We just want to know about his relationship with Mr Epstein and Ms Maxwell. What did he see? Did he know what was going on?” Comer said.
Democrats push back on direction of probe
Not everyone is satisfied with how the investigation is being run. Democratic members have raised questions about the committee’s witness selection. Critics have pointed to the notable absence of President Donald Trump from the interview schedule, despite well-documented accounts of Trump socialising with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s. Trump has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities.
Trump administration has also faced pressure over its handling of the Epstein files. In November 2025, Congress passed Epstein Files Transparency Act that needed Department of Justice to release all relevant documents within 30 days. That deadline was not met. When millions of files were eventually released in January 2026, critics said some records were improperly redacted. Victims’ identities were also made public, drawing further criticism.
Democratic Representative Robert Garcia welcomed the news that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche may be called to testify, but made his conditions clear. “It is very important to us that it is a deposition that is under oath, and it’s video-taped and released to the American public,” Garcia said.
Comer pushed back on accusations of political bias, calling Democratic members “dead weight” in the investigation. He defended the committee’s work, arguing that many of the people now being interviewed had never previously been questioned by law enforcement.
“They’ve never been interviewed by the FBI. They’ve never been interviewed by the Department of Justice. So this is the first time there’s been a substantive investigation,” Comer said.
Who is coming next?
The committee has several more interviews lined up in the coming weeks. Investment banker Leon Black, former Clinton aide Doug Band, and ex-Barclays CEO Jes Staley are expected to appear regarding their Epstein ties. Comer also mentioned lawyer Alan Dershowitz and acting Attorney General Blanche as potential July witnesses.
If Blanche testifies, Comer said the committee would focus on whether the Epstein Files Transparency Act has been fully complied with and whether any documents remain withheld from the public.
Background: Epstein’s legal history
Jeffrey Epstein was a wealthy financier accused of running a sex-trafficking ring over several decades. The number of victims is believed to run into the hundreds. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to state charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution and received an 18-month prison sentence. He served 13 months. He was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges. Then he was found dead in his jail cell that same year. His death was ruled a suicide, though it has remained a source of persistent public skepticism.
His co-defendant, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, was later convicted of sex trafficking and related charges.