US billionaire Bill Gates testified that he never interacted with any of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims but acknowledged that he may have been in their presence, according to a transcript of his closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee released on Tuesday.
The Microsoft co-founder maintained during the voluntary interview, which took place on Capitol Hill earlier this month, that his three-year relationship with the convicted sex offender was strictly professional and that he neither witnessed nor participated in any sexual misconduct.
However, a lawmaker noted that the committee’s investigation had revealed that some of Epstein’s employees were also victims of abuse by the late financier, making it difficult for Gates to categorically rule out ever being around any of Epstein’s victims.
Gates acknowledged seeing some of Epstein’s female employees at the end of a meeting aboard one of Epstein’s planes, adding that he may have been in the presence of victims.
As part of the Oversight Committee’s ongoing investigation, lawmakers sought Gates’ testimony after the release of additional Epstein-related files by the Justice Department earlier this year raised fresh questions about his relationship with the convicted sex offender.
The committee also released the transcript of Epstein’s longtime assistant, Lesley Groff, who described her former boss as a master manipulator and said she had no knowledge of his crimes.
Groff revealed that she connected Epstein and Donald Trump, then a private citizen, by phone on multiple occasions over a ten-year period, though she said she was unaware of the content of those conversations. Trump has long denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein, as well as allegations of sexual misconduct.
During his interview, Gates detailed how Epstein allegedly attempted to use information about the Microsoft co-founder’s personal life — including his infidelity during marriage — to exert pressure on him. After cutting ties with Epstein in 2014, Gates recalled an instance in which Epstein emailed him seeking reimbursement for expenses related to a woman with whom Gates had an affair.
Gates testified that he instructed Larry Cohen, a senior executive at Gates Ventures, that they would not make any payment to Epstein.
Gates said he was introduced to Epstein in 2011 through one of his employees, Dr. Boris Nikolic, whom he believes may have told Epstein about two of his extramarital affairs. Investigators also questioned Gates about other possible affairs, arguing that such information was relevant in determining whether he had additional connections to Epstein.
Gates and his legal team pushed back against the line of questioning. The tech billionaire pointed to draft emails that Epstein appeared to have written to himself in 2013, containing a series of graphic and unverified allegations about Gates. He argued that if other affairs existed, Epstein likely would have mentioned them in those notes.
In the documents, which Gates has described as false, Epstein appeared to claim that he facilitated sexual encounters for Gates and helped him obtain medication to conceal a sexually transmitted infection from his wife.
During the interview, Gates denied ever having had a sexually transmitted disease but acknowledged that he may have told Nikolic he was concerned he might have contracted one.
Gates said that when he first met Epstein in 2011, he was aware that the financier had a prior conviction for a sex-related offense. Nevertheless, he pursued a professional relationship because Epstein claimed he could help raise billions of dollars for global health initiatives.
To this day, Gates said he regrets overlooking Epstein’s reputation in pursuit of a philanthropic opportunity that ultimately never materialized. Although Epstein repeatedly invited him to visit his private island and attend social gatherings, Gates said he consciously avoided crossing that line because of Epstein’s criminal history.
He added that he remains puzzled by how Epstein amassed his wealth and described Epstein’s New York City residence as one of the most spacious homes he had ever seen in Manhattan.
Gates also testified that he voluntarily cooperated with the Attorney General of the U.S. Virgin Islands by participating in an interview and providing financial documents.
Meanwhile, Groff remains one of the most prominent members of Epstein’s inner circle to testify before Congress as part of its investigation.
As Epstein’s longtime assistant, she helped manage many aspects of his life, including scheduling massages, arranging meetings with women, and coordinating appointments with influential individuals, according to records contained in millions of Justice Department files related to Epstein.
Her claim that she had no knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct was met with immediate criticism from survivors.
Groff testified that she believed everyone she scheduled for Epstein’s massages was a licensed massage therapist and viewed them as independent contractors. She said she stopped regularly arranging massage appointments for Epstein in 2008, when he served about a year in a Florida jail.
Lawmakers challenged that assertion by citing records showing that Groff continued to schedule certain appointments for Epstein after 2008.
Defending her actions, Groff told lawmakers that even when she booked appointments after Epstein’s incarceration, she would not necessarily have known they involved massages.
