Billionaire Bill Gates appeared this Wednesday, 10th, at the United States Congress to give testimony to a committee of the House of Representatives that is investigating possible connections between public figures and financier Jeffrey Epstein, accused of running a network of sexual exploitation of minors.
Co-founder of Microsoft and president of the Gates Foundation, he was heard behind closed doors by the House Oversight Committee. Upon arriving at the Capitol, he stated that he participated in the hearing voluntarily and said he hoped that his testimony would contribute to the work of parliamentarians. “I hope my testimony will be useful to the committee’s important work in seeking justice for the victims,” he told reporters.
The summons occurred after the release of documents by the American Department of Justice as part of the investigation into Epstein. The files bring together records of meetings, exchanges of messages and photographs involving businessmen, politicians and other personalities who maintained contact with the financier over the years.
In Gates’ case, the documents include records of meetings with Epstein, electronic correspondence related to philanthropic projects and images of the two at public events. According to the files, the relationship between them began in 2011 and lasted at least until 2014 – a period after the plea deal signed by Epstein in 2008, when he pleaded guilty in a case involving prostitution of a minor in Florida.
Despite the exposure in the documents, Gates is not accused of participating in the crimes attributed to Epstein. On several occasions, the businessman stated that the meetings focused on philanthropic initiatives and denied having knowledge of the abuses committed by the financier. A spokesperson for the billionaire reiterated that he never witnessed or participated in any illegal activity related to Epstein.
The files released by authorities also include a draft email attributed to Epstein, dated 2013, in which the financier references Gates’ personal life. The message, which was apparently never sent, mentions the businessman’s alleged extramarital relationships.
In February, during a meeting with members of the Gates Foundation, the billionaire classified his association with Epstein as “a big mistake”, acknowledged having maintained relationships outside of marriage, but denied any involvement with the financier’s victims.
The Gates Foundation itself acknowledged this year that a small group of employees met with Epstein after he claimed he could mobilize resources for global health projects. According to the institution, however, no partnership was signed and no resources were passed on to the financier. In March, the foundation announced an external review to assess the history of contacts with him.
The Congressional commission has already heard from other prominent figures cited in the investigation documents. Among them are former United States President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.
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Democratic parliamentarians also advocate that President Donald Trump be heard, citing his former relationship with Epstein. Republicans, in turn, claim to have found no evidence of irregularities involving the current president.
Epstein was indicted by the US federal government in 2019 on charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation. Prosecutors said he maintained, between 2002 and 2005, a network of teenagers, some as young as 14, for sexual abuse purposes. The financier died in prison in New York while awaiting trial.
*With information from international agencies.
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