Microsoft founder Bill Gates testified before the U.S. Congress as part of the investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein case, stating that he did not fully understand the extent of Epstein’s criminal activities during the period when they worked together on philanthropic initiatives.
According to his testimony, Gates said he never personally witnessed any of Epstein’s illegal conduct but acknowledged that the financier attempted to blackmail him using information about his extramarital affairs.
“Those affairs had nothing to do with my relationship with Epstein, but they were painful for my family,” Gates said, adding that Epstein tried to use that information, along with what he described as numerous false claims, to pressure him into re-establishing contact.
The testimony was given behind closed doors before a congressional committee investigating the handling of the Epstein case, his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and possible failures by federal authorities in related investigations.
Congress is also examining the role of the U.S. Department of Justice in its handling of the case involving the convicted sex offender, who was accused of luring and abusing women and underage girls from vulnerable backgrounds over a period of years.
