<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Bill Gates has reportedly spoken about his ties to </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/jeffrey-epstein" rel="" target="" title="Jeffrey Epstein"><span>Jeffrey Epstein</span></a><span> in a meeting with his staff, admitting to affairs on his wife and apologising for his actions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Microsoft founder – who has faced growing scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein and appeared multiple times in the 3 million recently released files by the US Justice Department – told Gates Foundation staff at a town hall that "I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit", according to the </span><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/bill-gates-apologizes-to-foundation-staff-over-epstein-ties-67f39ef5?mod=hp_lead_pos9" rel="" target="_blank" title="Wall Street Journal"><em><span>Wall Street Journal</span></em></a><span>, which obtained a recording of the meeting.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Gates, 70, said it was a "huge mistake to spend time with Epstein", but insisted he "never spent any time with victims, the women around him".</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/dozens-of-fbi-records-apparently-missing-from-epstein-files-including-trump-accuser-interviews/2fc87a95-6cb7-4e92-8149-a67cd0f4924b"><strong><span>FBI records apparently missing from Epstein files, including Trump accuser interviews</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made," he said, according to the </span><em><span>Journal</span></em><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The newspaper said Gates also told staff he had two affairs with Russian women and that Epstein later found out about them.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Gates' ex-wife, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/bill-gates-epstein-files-melinda-gates-responds-to-latest-mentions/3d89f996-5943-42d6-a0be-12e57c1e8cb0" rel="" target="" title="Melinda French Gates, spoke out earlier this month saying her billionaire ex-husband had questions to answer"><span>Melinda French Gates, spoke out earlier this month saying her billionaire ex-husband had questions to answer</span></a><span> for his presence in the latest tranche of Epstein files.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/jeffrey-epstein-bill-gates-took-responsibility-over-epstein-ties-in-townhall-with-staff/1461f53a-06da-4e47-af4a-af5e0bd17a40" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Gates has never been accused of wrongdoing by any of Epstein's victims.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/chris-baghsarian-remains-found-in-search-for-missing-grandfather-sydney/66bdff80-d78a-4f28-974f-a9b31bf840be"><strong><span>Two men charged over alleged kidnap, murder of Sydney grandfather</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>French Gates said the most recent references to her ex-husband in the documents reminded her of "very, very painful" times in the marriage.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Whatever questions remain there of what – I can't even begin to know all of it – those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband," French Gates told NPR's </span><em><span>Wild Card</span></em><span> podcast.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They need to answer to those things, not me."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Gateses announced their divorce in 2021.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A 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