Involved in the Epstein scandal, Bill Gates apologizes to fund members and staff, having previously stated he would donate nearly all his wealth within 20 years.

As documents related to the late American billionaire Jeffrey Epstein continue to be declassified, the事件 continues to unfold.

On February 25, according to Global Times citing foreign media reports, Microsoft founder Bill Gates apologized to Gates Foundation staff on February 24 regarding his relationship with Epstein. He acknowledged his mistakes that cast a shadow over the charity but insisted he was not involved in Epstein’s criminal activities.

The report mentioned that Bill Gates admitted to having extramarital affairs with two Russian women, who were not victims involved with Epstein. He also stated that his meetings with Epstein continued until 2014, during which he flew on Epstein’s private jet but never visited his private island.

Epstein was a convicted American billionaire accused of trafficking and sexually abusing underage girls, using private planes and islands to entertain political and business elites, and even providing sexual services. In August 2019, Epstein died mysteriously in prison, leaving many unanswered questions. Since then, the list of influential people associated with him and related details have surfaced, attracting ongoing global attention.

In January 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice released over 3 million pages of declassified documents related to Epstein, bringing the事件 to a new climax. Some of these documents mention that Bill Gates engaged in extramarital sex and tried to hide from his wife Melinda that he had contracted a sexually transmitted disease. The documents also include photos of Gates with unidentified women.

Gates explained these photos in the reports. He said that some of the recently released Epstein files show photos of him with women whose faces are obscured, which Epstein asked him to take with his assistant after meetings.

Public records show that Gates’ association with Epstein began in 2011. In an interview with Yicai in February, Gates also said that between 2011 and 2014, he had dinner with Epstein several times, thinking at the time that Epstein knew many wealthy people and could help raise funds for global health initiatives. “He promised me he could raise a lot of money for global health. But it turned out to be a complete failure; we didn’t raise a single penny.”

On February 11, the Gates Foundation issued an official statement regarding its involvement in the Epstein case, stating that because Epstein claimed he could mobilize significant charitable resources for global health and development, a few staff members had contact with Epstein to try to secure this potential funding. Ultimately, the foundation did not collaborate with Epstein and never established any fund. The foundation never paid Epstein any money nor employed him.

Image source: Screenshot of the Gates Foundation official website

In the same report, Gates again admitted that his dealings with Epstein and allowing senior executives of the Gates Foundation to meet with the sex offender was “a huge mistake.” “I apologize to those who were involved because of my mistake,” he said.

The Gates Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating poverty, disease, and inequality worldwide. It was originally called the William Gates Foundation, named after Bill Gates’ father. In 1993, after visiting Africa and witnessing extreme poverty, Gates was inspired to establish the William Gates Foundation the following year, at his father’s suggestion. With the help of his wife Melinda, the charity grew significantly.

In 2000, the William Gates Foundation merged with the Gates Library Foundation to form the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2008, Gates officially resigned from his full-time role at Microsoft to focus entirely on the foundation’s operations.

In January 2025, nearly four years after announcing their divorce, the foundation was renamed the Gates Foundation. In May of the same year, Gates, as chairman, announced that over the past 25 years, the foundation had donated more than $100 billion, and over the next 20 years, its donations would double, with projected expenditures exceeding $200 billion.

Gates stated that he has been reflecting recently on the phrase “dying as one of the wealthiest people in the world.” “People will judge me after I die, but I am determined that ‘dying as one of the wealthiest’ will not be one of those judgments. There are too many urgent issues to solve, and I cannot keep the resources I could use to help others for myself.”

The foundation was originally scheduled to disband 20 years after Gates’ death, but Gates said he began reconsidering this timeline a few years ago and decided to give back his wealth more quickly than planned. He plans to donate nearly all his wealth over the next 20 years to save and improve lives worldwide. He also announced that the foundation will permanently close on December 31, 2045.

In January 2026, the Gates Foundation issued a press release promising to disburse $9 billion annually and strengthen management to maximize its impact before its closure in 2045.

The press release mentioned that accelerating funding and timeline planning will help the foundation focus on three main goals: eliminating all preventable maternal and infant deaths; ensuring the next generation grows up in a world free of deadly infectious diseases; and helping hundreds of millions escape poverty, enabling more countries to achieve prosperity.

Currently, about 70% of the foundation’s budget is allocated to advancing its global health initiatives. The remaining budget mainly focuses on two key economic opportunities: education in the United States and agriculture in low- and middle-income countries.