Bill Gates said that he deeply regretted his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

Bill Gates told a US congressional committee on Wednesday that Jeffrey Epstein attempted to use information about his extramarital affairs against him. The Microsoft co-founder made the remarks in a statement prepared for a closed-door hearing before the House Oversight Committee. At the hearing, Gates was questioned about his interactions with the disgraced financier. 

The committee is examining how the Justice Department handled investigations related to Epstein and his associates.

"These affairs had nothing to do with my interactions with Epstein, but they were painful for my family," Gates said, according to a copy of his opening statement.

"Epstein was working to use information about my infidelities — in addition to many lies that he layered on top — to pressure me to re-engage with him," he added.

In his statement, Gates reiterated that he deeply regretted his association with Epstein, describing the relationship as a serious mistake. However, he maintained that he had never witnessed Epstein engage in criminal activity and denied any wrongdoing on his own part.

“In the work I do, reputation is the basis for developing partnerships that save lives. Meeting with Epstein was a grave error in judgment and put this work at risk,” he was quoted as saying by The New York Times. 

Gates said Epstein's behaviour was 'antithetical' to all his "efforts to contribute to a world where everyone has a chance to live a healthy and productive life.”

The relationship between the two began in 2011, several years after Epstein had pleaded guilty in Florida to charges involving the solicitation of prostitution from a minor.

Gates acknowledged that he was aware Epstein had faced legal issues but said he had not fully understood the extent of the allegations and crimes linked to him at the time they were introduced. “I accepted the introduction without applying the scrutiny I should have,” he added.

He met Epstein on several occasions between 2011 and 2014, primarily to discuss the possibility of creating a charitable donor-advised fund. The proposed project ultimately never materialised, and discussions between the two had largely ended by late 2014.

Gates told lawmakers that he later learned Epstein had allegedly sought to use his marital problems in an effort to acquire leverage over him. He said documents that have since become public, Epstein was "working to use information about my infidelities."

The revelations about Gates' association first emerged following Epstein's 2019 arrest on sex-trafficking charges. The House Oversight Committee has interviewed several prominent figures as part of its investigation, including former US President Bill Clinton and the retail magnate Leslie Wexner.