Bill Gates has apologised to the staff of his philanthropic foundation over his connection to the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
During a Gates Foundation town hall meeting, the Microsoft co-founder "took responsibility for his actions", a statement from his foundation said.
"Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail."
Multiple emails between Mr Gates and Epstein have been released by the US Justice Department as part of the Epstein files investigation. Mr Gates's presence in the files does not indicate wrongdoing, and he has denied improper conduct relating to Epstein.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Mr Gates told staff: "I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made.
"I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit," the Journal report said.
Documents released in the Epstein files include emails about philanthropic work, calendar entries for meetings and photos of Mr Gates at events and with women whose faces have been redacted.
According to the newspaper, Mr Gates told foundation staff that Epstein had asked him to take photos with his assistants after their meetings.
"To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him," Mr Gates said, according to the report.
Separately, a spokesperson for Mr Gates previously told the ABC: "Mr. Gates never visited Epstein's island, never attended parties with him, and had no involvement in any illegal activities associated with Epstein."
Earlier this month, Mr Gates told Nine News: "I regret every minute I spent with him."
That interview came soon after Melinda French Gates, who left the Gates Foundation in 2024 to focus on her own philanthropy, said her ex-husband must "answer to those things" when asked about his ties to Epstein.
There has been increased scrutiny on Mr Gates following the release of files pertaining to him. Last week, he pulled out of delivering the keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi "to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities".
ABC/wires
