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Akbar Novruz

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Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has issued a direct apology to the employees of the Gates Foundation following the release of thousands of documents and photographs from the estate of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. During a high-stakes internal town hall meeting, Gates reportedly "took responsibility for his actions," admitting that his past association with Epstein had "cast a shadow" over the organization's global humanitarian efforts, AzerNEWS reports.

The meeting, described by sources as a rare moment of vulnerability for the billionaire, comes as federal investigators and House Democrats released a massive trove of over 3 million pages of evidence under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The files include undated photographs of Gates—some showing him in conversation with the formerly-titled Prince Andrew and others near private aircraft—as well as unverified emails from Epstein’s personal accounts.

Gates’ representatives were quick to clarify his position during the fallout:

Gates addressed images circulating that show him with women whose faces have been redacted or retouched. He asserted these individuals were Epstein’s staff members and the photos were taken following legitimate business meetings.

He reiterated that he had no contact with Epstein after 2014 and has consistently ignored subsequent outreach from the financier before Epstein died in 2019.

The foundation continues to maintain that Gates was never involved in or aware of Epstein’s criminal activities.

Beyond the photographs, the "Epstein Files" contained startling—though largely unverified—claims regarding Gates' health and his work in global pandemic prevention. According to draft emails Epstein wrote to himself in 2013, the financier alleged a much darker, transactional nature to their relationship.

The "Russian Girl" and Antibiotic Allegations

In one of the most controversial draft emails, Epstein claimed he assisted Gates in dealing with the "consequences" of an extramarital encounter with a woman in Russia. The files suggest that Gates allegedly sought "antibiotics" or medication to treat a potential illness discreetly, without the knowledge of his then-wife, Melinda French Gates.

While the public knows Gates for his early warnings about global viruses (such as his 2015 TED Talk), the Epstein files contain uncorroborated allegations that Epstein sought to leverage his relationship with Gates to influence medical research and vaccine distribution networks.

Statement from Gates' Spokesperson: "These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false. They demonstrate Epstein’s frustration at failing to maintain a relationship with Mr. Gates and the lengths he would go to to entrap and defame him."

A "Who’s Who" of Influence?

The December 19, 2025, document dump has sent shockwaves through the worlds of politics and entertainment. Names appearing in the files range from musical icons like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Bruce Springsteen to high-ranking political figures including Donald Trump, Michelle Obama, and Jay Dee Vance.

Legal experts caution that the appearance of a name in the files does not imply wrongdoing, as many were part of Epstein's massive social and philanthropic "Rolodex." However, for Gates, the timing of these disclosures has already had professional consequences, leading to the cancellation of his recent keynote address at an AI summit in India to avoid "distracting from the event’s priorities."