Bill Gates: Jeffrey Epstein used billionaire connections to get to me

Bill Gates told the House Oversight Committee that Jeffrey Epstein pitched his relationships with billionaires as a way to raise money for the Gates Foundation's global health work. Gates said Epstein portrayed himself as part of tax and will discussions, which made it seem credible he might be able to raise or refer billions for philanthropy.

Gates described at least a dozen meetings with Epstein between 2011 and 2014 — at Epstein's Manhattan mansion, on a private jet, and over Skype — and said the conversations revolved around fundraising and that he regrets them. Gates has not been accused of sexual misconduct related to Epstein; Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to sex offenses in Florida and died in jail in 2019 while awaiting federal sex‑trafficking charges.

Epstein also used his ties to maintain connections with JPMorgan Chase, pitching bank executives Jes Staley and Mary Erdoes on a donor‑advised fund for the Gates Foundation's Global Health Program; Gates told the committee those discussions were a dead end.

United States, Manhattan

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