Gates testifies on Epstein: previous Fortune investigation reveals payments to his ex-girlfriend, $1M Microsoft deal

Bill Gates said Wednesday that he made a “grave error in judgment” by meeting with Jeffrey Epstein but denied any wrongdoing as the Microsoft co-founder faced hours of questioning from lawmakers about his relationship with the disgraced financier. In an opening statement provided to The Associated Press, Gates said he “should never have met with Epstein in the first place,” but that he “never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct.” The testimony comes after Fortune published an investigation on Gates’ relationship with Epstein, detailing how the latter bankrolled Gates’ reported ex-girlfriend Mila Antonova by paying for her coding school, organizing her visa application to the U.S. and allowing her to stay at his New York home. Epstein used that relationship, along with leverage gained through two other confidants the men shared, to pressure Gates into investing into his donor-advised fund, the documents showed. Epstein also embedded himself within Microsoft after Gates stepped down as CEO; enough that Steve Sinofsky, then-head of the Windows division, paid Epstein $1 million to negotiate his exit agreement with the company in 2012. The tech billionaire became the latest powerful figure linked to Epstein to testify before the House Oversight Committee. The committee chairman, Republican Rep. James Comer, formally requested that Gates testify after he appeared multiple times in a trove of documents released by the Justice Department as part of its Epstein probe. As Gates arrived at the Capitol, he noted that his appearance was voluntary and said he hoped his testimony would help lawmakers “find justice for the victims.” Gates, who chairs the Gates Foundation, has not been accused in connection with Epstein’s crimes and has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of girls. He has said the two met only to discuss philanthropy and previously described the relationship as “a huge mistake.” Most