foundation, the organisation said. "Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail," the Gates Foundation said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Gates apologised to staff, said he had two affairs with Russian women which Epstein later found out about, and in relation to the late financier said: "I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit." Gates has come under renewed scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein following the release of files by the US Department of Justice in January. The Microsoft co-founder, 70, has not been accused of wrongdoing by any of Epstein's victims. The WSJ reported that Gates said it was a "huge mistake to spend time with Epstein", but insisted he "never spent any time with victims, the women around him".

"I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made," he told staff, according to the US newspaper, which said it had reviewed a recording of Gates's remarks. It reported that Gates said images of him with women, whose faces are redacted, included in the so-called Epstein files were pictures that the late financier asked him to take with his assistants after their meetings. (BBC)