Anderson Cooper 360 Wednesday,
Bill Gates addressed his relationship with deceased sex offender
Jeffrey Epstein, and his recent divorce, which was
reportedly set in motion because of that relationship. Though Epstein had already been
convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor, Gates, a well known philanthropist, said he first met with Epstein with the best of intentions, but now regrets doing so.
“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. When it looked like that wasn't a real thing, that relationship ended,” Gates said. “It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of, you know, being there. There were lots of others in that same situation, but I made a mistake.”
As for his divorce, which was
finalized on Monday, Gates said, “It's definitely a very sad milestone.
Melinda's a great person, and that partnership that we had coming to an end is a source of great personal sadness.”">