▲ Bill Gates attends a closed-door hearing of the House Oversight Committee on June 10 (local time).
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates testified at a U.S. House hearing on June 10 (local time) that his association with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was a "serious error in judgment," while maintaining that he was unaware of Epstein's criminal activities.
According to a report by CNN, Gates appeared at a closed-door hearing of the House Oversight Committee and stated in his opening remarks, "I never witnessed, nor was I aware of, any indication that Epstein was involved in ongoing criminal activity."
Gates added, "I never visited his island, his ranch, or his Florida home," and emphasized, "I have never harmed anyone."
He stressed, "Epstein may have wanted to have a personal relationship with me, but I had no interest in that and never engaged in one."
Gates further revealed, "I became aware that Epstein had obtained sensitive information about my private life, including the fact that I had an affair during my marriage," adding, "While this affair had nothing to do with my association with Epstein, it was a painful matter for my family."
Gates stated that he was introduced to Epstein in 2011, and that Epstein had promised he could raise billions of dollars for global health initiatives.
He explained to the lawmakers, "I knew that Epstein had had legal issues in the past, but I did not understand the severity of the crimes he had committed," adding, "I accepted the introduction without the due diligence I should have conducted."
However, he testified that his association with Epstein was "limited" and was completely severed in December 2014.
Gates claimed that even after their association ended, Epstein attempted to pressure him into maintaining contact by using the information about his affair.
"His attempts were unsuccessful, but this is an example of how he tried to use his relationship with me to further his own intentions," Gates said, adding, "I should never have met Epstein in the first place."
Previously, the release of U.S. Department of Justice documents related to the Epstein case revealed that Gates had met with Epstein several times during his lifetime.
The U.S. House Oversight Committee, which has been investigating Epstein's criminal activities, officially requested Gates' appearance and a transcribed interview in March, which Gates accepted.
After his ties to Epstein were made public, Gates admitted to having had two affairs with Russian women during meetings with staff from his foundation, and that Epstein later learned of these facts.
It was reported that at the time, Gates stated, "I have not done anything illegal, and I have not seen anything illegal."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.