House Releases Bill Gates's Epstein Testimony Transcript

A Private Interview Enters the Public Record

The House Oversight Committee has made public the transcript of its extensive interview with Bill Gates, an interview conducted on June 10 as part of the panel's continuing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. According to MS NOW, the released document represents the most detailed public accounting to date of how the Microsoft co-founder and the now-deceased, disgraced financier first crossed paths and why their association persisted for several years.

In the testimony, Gates told lawmakers that he initially met Epstein in 2011, introduced through a web of professional and philanthropic contacts. At the time, Gates said, he believed Epstein might be able to help marshal billions of dollars in donor commitments for the Gates Foundation's global-health initiatives. The two reportedly remained in contact for roughly four years, communicating through a mix of in-person meetings and Skype calls, until Gates concluded that the promised fundraising connections were never going to come together.

'A Grave Error in Judgment'

A recurring theme across the interview was Gates's own framing of the relationship as a serious lapse. "It was a mistake because of his prior conviction," he said of Epstein, according to the transcript. He went on to explain that he had been "so focused on the possibility of raising funds for global health that I allowed that goal to override my better judgment," a candid acknowledgment that ambition for the foundation's work clouded his assessment of the man he was dealing with.

Per MS NOW, Gates stated that he never witnessed any criminal activity or sexual misconduct involving Epstein, and that he became aware Epstein was a registered sex offender only in 2018, after reading reporting in the Miami Herald. Gates is not accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the committee's investigation.

Suspicions of Blackmail

Among the more notable exchanges in the transcript is Gates's account of Epstein allegedly trying to exploit personal information. Gates told the committee that Epstein attempted to "use information about my infidelities" as leverage to pressure him into resuming contact. He also reflected on the differing instincts within his own family, recalling that his former wife, Melinda, took a far dimmer view of Epstein from the outset. She "certainly showed better judgment than I did," Gates said.

Key points drawn from the released transcript include:

• Gates met Epstein in 2011, motivated by the prospect of securing major foundation funding.
• The relationship spanned roughly 2011 to 2014 and produced no fundraising results.
• Gates says he saw no misconduct firsthand and learned of Epstein's sex-offender status in 2018.
• He suspected Epstein weighed using personal information against him.

The Broader Investigation

The Gates transcript was released alongside testimony from other figures connected to the committee's wider probe, part of a sustained effort by lawmakers to document the network of prominent individuals who interacted with Epstein over the years. The continued release of such materials reflects ongoing public and political pressure for transparency around those relationships. For Gates, the transcript adds his own detailed, on-the-record version of events to a story that has shadowed many in business, finance and philanthropy, and it underscores how associations once pursued for ostensibly charitable ends can carry lasting reputational consequences.