On February 25, 2026, with the ongoing media scrutiny over Bill Gates for his past ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Microsoft co-founder apologised to staff at the Gates Foundation, as per reports. Speaking at a town hall meeting, Gates said that his link with Epstein was a “huge mistake”. Talking in this context, he further said, “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit…To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him,” reported The Wall Street Journal.
Gates also apologised to Gates Foundation staff for the disgrace his association with Epstein has brought to them. “I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,” he said, quoted the Journal.
The lesson: As a famous line from the movie ‘Spider Man’ goes, ‘With great power comes great responsibility’. In this case, Gates’ apology shows that power amplifies consequences and that reputation is fragile — even at the top.
