Recent developments have brought renewed attention to the relationships between high-profile public figures and the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Two notable cases — involving Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers — highlight how past associations continue to generate questions about accountability and judgment years after Epstein’s criminal activities became public.
Gates Addresses Staff at Foundation
Gates recently spoke at a town hall meeting with employees of the Gates Foundation, where he apologized for his past relationship with Epstein. According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal, Gates described his decision to spend time with Epstein as “a huge mistake.”
During the meeting, Gates emphasized that he did not participate in or witness any criminal activity linked to Epstein.
“I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” Gates said, according to a recording reviewed by the newspaper.
Gates also stated that he never met any of Epstein’s victims and clarified that women he appeared with in photos — included in files released by the U.S. Justice Department — were Epstein’s assistants.
“To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him,” Gates said.
The files, released in December, have renewed public interest in Epstein’s network and those who interacted with him following his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Timeline of the Relationship
Gates said his first meeting with Epstein occurred in 2011, several years after Epstein’s conviction. At the time, Gates indicated he had limited knowledge of Epstein’s legal history, recalling only what he described as an “18-month thing” that affected Epstein’s ability to travel.
Despite concerns raised in 2013 by his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, Gates continued meeting with Epstein through 2014. He acknowledged traveling on Epstein’s private jet and spending time with him in locations including Germany, France, New York, and Washington, D.C., though he stated he never stayed overnight at Epstein’s residences or visited his private Caribbean island.
“To give her credit, she was always kind of skeptical about the Epstein thing,” Gates reportedly said of Melinda French Gates’ concerns.
He also apologized for introducing colleagues from the foundation to Epstein during that period.
Personal Matters and Allegations
The Justice Department files included emails in which Epstein claimed Gates had contracted a sexually transmitted infection from encounters with “Russian girls.” One message suggested Gates sought antibiotics to treat the infection and to secretly provide them to his then-wife.
At the town hall, Gates acknowledged two extramarital affairs with Russian women that Epstein was aware of, but he denied the allegations regarding infection and said the women involved were not Epstein victims.
A spokesperson for Gates previously rejected the claims in the emails, stating they were “absolutely absurd and completely false” and reflected Epstein’s attempts to damage Gates’ reputation.
In a separate interview with NPR, Melinda French Gates addressed the release of the documents more broadly, saying they brought back painful memories from her marriage.
“For me, it’s personally hard whenever those details come up, right?” she said. “Because it brings back memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage.”
Summers Announces Retirement
Meanwhile, scrutiny has also intensified around Summers, a longtime professor at Harvard University and former president of the institution.
Summers announced plans to retire from his professorship at the end of the academic year. He also stepped down as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School, a role he had held since 2011.
“I will always be grateful to the thousands of students and colleagues I have been privileged to teach and work with since coming to Harvard as a graduate student 50 years ago,” Summers said in a statement.
The university has been reviewing connections between staff members and Epstein, and Summers has been on leave from teaching since November.
Documented Connections
Summers’ association with Epstein has been publicly known for years, but documents released in 2025 suggested a closer relationship than previously understood. The materials indicated that the two communicated as recently as 2019, shortly before Epstein’s arrest on federal sex trafficking charges.
Summers has previously expressed regret about maintaining contact.
“I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused,” he said in an earlier statement. “I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein.”
Broader Accountability Questions
Summers is among several public figures whose careers have been affected by associations with Epstein. While some have stepped down from roles or faced reputational consequences, none in this group are currently facing criminal charges related to Epstein’s activities.
Observers note that responses in the United States have largely centered on institutional and professional consequences, such as resignations and internal investigations, rather than legal action.
