Co-founder of Microsoft and billionaire businessman, Bill Gates says he made a huge mistake associating with a disgraced American financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
The billionaire’s relationship with Epstein is reported by prominent media organisations as one of the reasons that may have cost him his marriage.
Bill and Melinda Gates announced they were ending their 27-year-old marriage, but would continue to work together at the Gates Foundation in May 2021.
On Monday, Gates and his former wife, Melinda French Gates, officially divorced, ending their 27-year marriage, which he called “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,” Gates told Cooper. “We are communicating and working at the foundation so that partnership we’re going to try and continue.”
In his first personal interview after the divorce, Mr Gates said he regrets the divorce and his relationship with Epstein.
“It is a very sad milestone; Melinda is a great person, and that partnership that we had coming to an end is a source of great personal sadness,” he told CNN.
On Epstein, he said: “I had several dinners with him, 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. But it was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him credibility. There were lots of others in the same situation, but I made a mistake.”
In July, the foundation released a statement claiming that the duo will work together at the Gates Foundation.
Gates buttressed the foundation’s position by saying “we are communicating and working at the foundation so that partnership we’re going to try and continue.
“We always enjoyed our work together. The two of us can go out and work with leaders and help build the organization, so that would be definitely the best thing for the foundation.”
