“It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there,” Gates said.
“I had several dinners with him, you know, hoping that what he said about getting billions of philanthropy for global health through contacts that he had might emerge,” Gates said. “When it looked like that wasn’t a real thing, that relationship ended.”
The well-connected hedge fund manager previously evaded similar charges when he secured a non-prosecution deal with federal prosecutors in Miami in 2008. Instead of facing federal charges, Epstein pleaded guilty to two state prostitution charges and served just 13 months in prison. He also registered as a sex offender and paid restitution to the victims identified by the FBI.
“It’s a time of reflection, and at this point, I need to go forward,” Gates told CNN. “Within the family, we’ll heal the best that we can.”
Gates told CNN he hopes Melinda French Gates will stay.
“That would definitely be the best thing for the foundation,” Gates said. “Melinda has incredible strengths that she brings that help the foundation be better.”
