Bill Gates expresses regret over his interactions with Jeffrey Epstein...

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has said he regrets “every minute” spent with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following the release of a new batch of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice last week.

The files, which include emails involving Epstein and several high-profile figures, have reignited scrutiny of his network.

Some documents suggested a close relationship between Gates and Epstein, including a draft email in which Epstein alleged that Gates engaged in extramarital affairs and that Epstein facilitated “illicit trysts.”

Gates strongly denied the claims, calling the email “false” and stating, “Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologize.”

A spokesperson for Gates added that the documents merely reflected Epstein’s “frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame.”

Former wife Melinda French Gates, speaking to NPR, described the document release as reopening “painful chapters” from her marriage.

She said unresolved questions regarding Epstein’s associations should be addressed by those directly involved.

CBI News reports that Gates confirmed he met Epstein in 2011 and attended several dinners over three years but insisted the relationship was limited and focused on fundraising for global health initiatives.

He denied visiting Epstein’s Caribbean island or participating in any sexual activities arranged by Epstein.

“Whatever questions remain there I can’t even begin to know all of it those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband,” Melinda Gates said.

Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting sex from a minor and was later charged in 2019 with federal sex trafficking offences before dying in custody.