Bill Gates testifies before US House Oversight Committee on Jeffrey Epstein ties

Microsoft co‑founder Bill Gates appeared in a closed‑door interview before the U.S. House Oversight Committee on June 10, 2026. Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer summoned Gates after Justice Department documents linked the billionaire to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Gates said his meetings with Epstein began in 2011—three years after Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea for soliciting a minor—and continued through 2014. He denied ever witnessing or participating in Epstein’s illegal conduct, stating he never visited Epstein’s island, ranch or Florida home and never victimised anyone. Gates expressed regret, calling the association “a huge mistake” and saying Epstein tried to use knowledge of his marital affairs for blackmail. The Gates Foundation confirmed that a small number of its staff met Epstein in hopes of securing philanthropic funding, but no fund was created and no payments were made. An external review of the foundation’s past engagement with Epstein is underway. No criminal charges have been filed against Gates. The committee will release a transcript of the testimony in the coming days, joining earlier appearances by figures such as Bill and Hillary Clinton and former Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.