On June 10, 2026, Bill Gates sat for a closed-door interview with the U.S. House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, telling lawmakers that meeting Epstein was 'a grave error in judgment' and that he 'never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct.' Gates said Epstein had tried to use information about Gates's marital infidelities 'to pressure me to re-engage with him' — an attempt Gates described as unsuccessful — and stated he cut off contact in December 2014 after their fundraising discussions stalled. He maintained that his contact with Epstein, which began in 2011, had been aimed at raising money for global health. The interview was not recorded; the committee said it would release a transcript.