Bill Gates to Testify Before Congress on Epstein Ties as Details of Affairs and Drug Use Surface

Bill Gates is heading to Capitol Hill to explain why he maintained a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein years after the financier's 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.

The Microsoft co-founder will testify before the House Oversight Committee on June 10, 2026, as part of an ongoing congressional investigation into Epstein's network of powerful enablers. Gates joins a growing list of high-profile witnesses, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who appeared before the committee in February.

What the Documents Reveal

More than three million pages of investigative files released by the Justice Department earlier this year paint a troubling picture of Gates's entanglement with Epstein. While Gates has not been accused of misconduct by any of Epstein's victims, the documents show the convicted sex offender possessed potentially compromising information about the billionaire.

In one particularly damning note, Epstein wrote that he helped Gates acquire drugs "in order to deal with consequences of sex with Russian girls." Gates has acknowledged having affairs with two Russian women that Epstein somehow learned about, though he has not publicly addressed the drug allegation.

The nature of this relationship raises an obvious question: What did Epstein want in exchange?

Gates's Shifting Story

Gates has repeatedly downplayed his association with Epstein, claiming their interactions were limited to dinners focused on philanthropy. He insists he never visited Epstein's private island in the Caribbean and "saw nothing illicit."

Yet Gates continued meeting with Epstein for years after his 2008 conviction, a decision he now calls "a serious error in judgment." During a 2023 meeting with Gates Foundation staff, he apologized for the relationship, stating, "Every minute I spent with him I regret."

A spokesperson for Gates told the BBC that the billionaire is "looking forward to answering all the committee's questions to support their important work." The statement emphasized that Gates "unequivocally denies any improper conduct related to Epstein and the horrible activities in which Epstein was involved."

But the apology tour has done little to repair the damage. Warren Buffett, Gates's longtime friend and fellow billionaire, revealed he has not spoken to Gates since details of the Epstein connection became public. Buffett said he wants to avoid being drawn into the matter as a potential witness, a remarkable distancing from someone he once considered a close ally.

A Pattern of Powerful Men

Gates is far from the only tech titan named in the Epstein files. Google co-founder Sergey Brin, PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, former Microsoft executive Steven Sinofsky, and Elon Musk all appear in the documents, though Musk denies ever visiting Epstein's island.

The breadth of Epstein's connections to Silicon Valley raises uncomfortable questions about how a convicted sex offender maintained access to some of the most powerful people in technology and business. What did these men think they were getting from their association with Epstein? And what did he get from them?

Gates canceled a scheduled appearance at the India AI Impact Summit earlier this year after public outcry over his Epstein ties. His upcoming congressional testimony will be the first time he faces direct questioning under oath about the relationship.

What Congress Wants to Know

The House Oversight Committee has not publicly disclosed its specific areas of inquiry, but the hearing is expected to focus on when Gates first met Epstein, how frequently they communicated, whether Gates was aware of Epstein's ongoing criminal activity, and what Epstein may have offered in exchange for access to Gates's wealth and influence.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and former Attorney General Pam Bondi are also expected to testify before the committee in the coming months as part of the broader investigation into institutional failures that allowed Epstein to operate for decades.

Gates's testimony comes at a moment of renewed public attention to the Epstein case and growing demands for accountability from the powerful men who enabled his crimes through their silence, their money, or their willingness to look the other way.

For years, Gates benefited from a carefully cultivated public image as a benevolent philanthropist focused on global health and poverty reduction. His association with a convicted sex trafficker has shattered that reputation. Now he will have to answer for it under oath.