Bill Gates’ Epstein testimony has revealed that the Microsoft co-founder told the House Oversight Committee he never interacted with Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, but acknowledged he may have been in their presence. The admission came from a transcript of his closed-door interview, released Tuesday.

A Professional Relationship, Gates Insists

In the voluntary interview, conducted on Capitol Hill earlier this month, Gates maintained that his three-year association with the convicted sex offender was strictly professional. He stated firmly that he never witnessed or took part in any sexual misconduct.

That account faced scrutiny from lawmakers. Democratic Representative Robert Garcia noted that the committee’s investigation had found some of Epstein’s own employees were themselves abused by the late financier, which made it hard for Gates to definitively claim he was never near any victims.

Gates conceded the point. He acknowledged seeing some of Epstein’s female employees at the end of a meeting aboard one of Epstein’s planes, admitting, “I may have been in the presence of victims.”

Why Gates Was Called to Testify

The committee sought Gates’ testimony as part of its ongoing investigation, prompted by the Justice Department’s release of additional Epstein files this year. Those files renewed questions about Gates’ ties to Epstein.

Epstein’s Attempts at Pressure

During the interview, Gates described how Epstein tried to leverage personal information against him, including the fact that Gates had been unfaithful in his marriage.

He recounted one striking episode that occurred after he cut ties with Epstein in 2014. According to Gates, Epstein emailed asking for “reimbursement” for expenses tied to a woman with whom Gates had an affair. Gates testified that he instructed Larry Cohen, his top person at Gates Ventures, that they would never pay anything.

How the Two Men Met

Gates was introduced to Epstein in 2011 through Dr. Boris Nikolic, one of his most trusted employees. Gates believes Nikolic told Epstein about two of his extramarital affairs.

Behind closed doors, investigators pressed Gates about whether there were other affairs, arguing the question was relevant to uncovering any additional ties between him and Epstein. Gates and his legal team pushed back hard.

He pointed to a set of draft emails Epstein appears to have written to himself in 2013, which contained graphic, unverified allegations against Gates. His reasoning was that if Epstein had known of other affairs, he would have included them in those notes. Gates argued that Epstein collected every negative thing he knew, along with outright falsehoods, and poured them into these messages to himself.

Disputed Allegations

Those stream-of-consciousness notes, which Gates has called false, were filled with typos and hostility. In them, Epstein appears to claim he arranged sexual encounters for Gates and helped him obtain medication to conceal a sexually transmitted infection from his wife.

Gates flatly denied the STD claim, stating he never had one. He did allow that it was “possible” he had once told Nikolic he was worried he might have had one.

Regret Over Ignoring Warning Signs

When the two met in 2011, Gates said he already knew Epstein had a criminal conviction of a sexual nature. Even so, he pursued a professional relationship, drawn by Epstein’s claim that he could raise billions of dollars for global health.

Gates expressed clear regret about that decision. He said he wishes he had given greater weight to Epstein’s reputation rather than chasing a philanthropic opportunity that ultimately never materialized. Notably, Gates said he deliberately avoided crossing certain lines, declining invitations to Epstein’s island and social functions because of the conviction.

He also remarked that he found it “confusing” how Epstein amassed his wealth, and described Epstein’s New York City apartment as one of the most spacious homes he had seen in Manhattan. Gates added that he had voluntarily cooperated with the attorney general of the U.S. Virgin Islands, sitting for an interview and providing some financial documents, though he did not specify when.

Epstein’s Assistant Also Testifies

The committee separately released the transcript of Lesley Groff, Epstein’s longtime assistant. Groff described her former boss as a “master manipulator” and insisted she did not know about his crimes.

Groff was a central figure in Epstein’s world, managing nearly every aspect of his life, from scheduling massages to arranging appointments with women and meetings with powerful figures, as documented in the Justice Department’s vast trove of Epstein files. One notable detail emerged from her testimony: she revealed that she connected Epstein and Donald Trump, then a private citizen, by phone multiple times over a 10-year span, though she said she did not know what the conversations involved. Trump has long denied any wrongdoing connected to Epstein.

Survivors Push Back

Groff’s claim that she had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes drew immediate condemnation from survivors.

She told lawmakers she believed everyone she scheduled for a massage was a legitimate massage therapist, describing it as an independent contractor arrangement. Groff testified that she stopped regularly booking those appointments in 2008, when Epstein served roughly a year in a Florida jail.

Democrats on the committee tried to challenge that timeline, pointing to appointments she booked after 2008. Defending herself, Groff insisted she would not have known those were massages, telling lawmakers that they were assuming she thought of them that way when she did not.

The dual testimonies offer a fuller, if still contested, picture of the people who surrounded Epstein, even as key questions about who knew what remain unresolved.