Bill Gates says he regrets the time spent with Jeffrey Epstein: ‘It was a huge mistake’

“It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there,” Gates said. Speaking with Gates declined to respond to the Wall Street Journal’s reporting that his social connection to Epstein played a role in his divorce from Melinda French Gates, which was finalized this week. “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.”The tech magnate has focused most of his time in recent years on global health issues through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, whose leader recently told staffers that the Gates family would determine over the next two years whether it’s possible for them to continue their foundation work together. If not, Bill Gates will pay his ex-wife to leave the foundation using his own personal funds.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.”