Bill Gates admitted meeting with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was a “huge mistake”

Bill Gates admitted in an interview that he shouldn’t have held meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, the businessman who in 2019 was found hanged in his Manhattan cell after being accused of exploiting a sex trafficking ring in which he abused dozens of minors.

“It was a big mistake to spend time with him, to give him credibility by being there,” Microsoft founder said in an interview with Anderson Cooper of CNN. 65-year-old businessman explained that he only met Epstein in hopes of raising money for the philanthropic foundation which he directs with his ex-wife Melinda French.

The meetings with the tycoon targeted for sex crimes were mentioned as one of the axes of conflict in the resonance and multimillionaire Bill and Melinda divorce after 27 years of marriage.

A report of The Wall Street Journal He had noted that members of the Microsoft board had asked Gates about his connection to Epstein. Although the financier’s death was listed as suicide, many believe he could have been killed by order of powerful figures who did not want him to speak. The businessman was also known for his abundant political connections.

“I have dined with him on several occasions… in the hope that what he said about earning billions of dollars in global health philanthropy through the connections he had might come out. When it seemed like it wasn’t a real thing, that relationship ended, ”Gates said now.

The finalized divorce and the future of the Foundation

In the interview, Gates declined to answer whether his connections to pedophile Epstein influenced his divorce from the French, which was finalized this week. In this context, the future of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which the couple have managed for years and which has consolidated itself as one of the most recognized philanthropic organizations in the world.

“It’s a time of reflection, and at this point I have to move on. Within the family, we will take care of ourselves as best we can, ”concluded the American businessman. Regarding the future of the group, Gates said he hoped his ex-wife would continue to work because “it would definitely be the best for the Foundation” and noted that “Melinda has incredible strengths.”

When they publicly reported on the decision to divorce, Bill and Melinda also referred to the Foundation they run. “Over the past 27 years We raised three amazing children and built a Foundation that works around the world to help people lead healthy and productive lives. (…) We continue to share the belief in this mission and to work on it together, but we no longer believe that we can grow together as a couple in the next phase of our life ”.