Billionaire Bill Gates, during a closed-door hearing before the US House Oversight Committee on 10/6, stated he "did not fully understand" Jeffrey Epstein's criminal activities during their philanthropic collaboration.

Gates affirmed he never witnessed any criminal behavior from Epstein. He revealed that Epstein exploited his extramarital relationships to exert pressure.

"These affairs had nothing to do with my relationship with Epstein, but they caused pain to my family," Gates said in his opening statement. "Epstein leveraged information about my infidelity, along with additional lies he fabricated, to pressure me into maintaining the relationship."

"He failed in this, but it shows some ways he tried to exploit his interactions with me to further his schemes," Gates added.

Billionaire Bill Gates (center) testifies before the US House Oversight Committee in Washington, 10/6. *AP*

Gates voluntarily testified before the US House Oversight Committee regarding his relationship with Epstein, after Department of Justice documents raised new questions about their contact.

Among the released Epstein files was a 2013 draft email implying Gates had affairs. Epstein wrote that his relationship with Gates originated when he helped the US billionaire "procure medication to deal with the aftermath of relations with Russian girls" or arranged "illicit dates" between Gates and married women.

During the hearing, Gates admitted he had extramarital relationships with three women: two Russian women and a female doctor, a knowledgeable source involved in the questioning told WSJ.

Gates acknowledged his association with Epstein was a mistake and expressed regret that the relationship had given Epstein more notoriety, while damaging the Gates Foundation's image. "Meeting Epstein was a major error in my judgment and put this philanthropic work at great risk," he said.

He stated that his relationship with Epstein began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting prostitution from minors.

Gates also admitted that his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, had expressed concerns about Epstein in 2013, but he continued the relationship for at least one more year.

Epstein, born in 1953, was arrested in New York in 7/2019, accused of enticing dozens of minors and engaging in sexual acts with them. The financier faced 45 years in prison if convicted. Epstein denied all allegations and was held in a Manhattan jail. He committed suicide by hanging in his cell in 8/2019, while awaiting trial.

Ngoc Anh (According to Reuters, CNN, AFP)