By Molly Goddard
9:09am PST, Jan 27, 2025
"In retrospect, I was foolish to spend any time with him," the software pioneer explained in a Friday, January 24, chat with
The Wall Street Journal. "I think I was quite stupid. I thought it would help me with global health
philanthropy. In fact, it failed to do that. It was just a huge mistake."
In July 2019, the financier was arrested and charged with s– trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit s– trafficking of minors. Jeffrey died by suicide in his jail cell the following month.
Per the
New York Post, the former teacher — who was 66 when he died — got close with Bill in 2010 after Jeffrey pleaded guilty to procuring underage girls for prostitution in 2008.
According to
WSJ, the broker reportedly blackmailed the
businessman over his alleged affair with Russian bridge player
Mila Antonova. The threat became evident when Bill refused to join Jeffrey's charitable fund with JPMorgan Chase.
When asked if being bamboozled by Jeffrey made him more cautious about making business connections, Bill said, "Definitely. I mean, are you kidding?"
In 2022, Melinda, 60, opened up about how her former husband's ties to the controversial figure put a wedge between them. "I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey
Epstein, no. I made that clear to him," she explained in an appearance on
CBS Mornings.
"I regretted it the second I walked in the door," the mother-of-three added of meeting Jeffrey. "He was abhorrent. He was evil personified. My heart breaks for these women."
Bill and Melinda were married from 1994 until their shocking
divorce in 2021. The former pair share children,
Jennifer, 28,
Rory, 25, and
Phoebe, 22. Together, they co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
During a sit-down with
The Times of London, the patriarch admitted he wishes he and Melinda could have worked out their differences. "The divorce thing was miserable for Melinda and me for at least two years," Bill revealed, adding that he thinks of it as the "mistake I most regret."
"When Melinda and I met, I was fairly successful but not ridiculously
successful — that came during the time that we were together," the billionaire said. "So, she saw me through a lot. When we got divorced, it was tough and then she made the decision to leave the foundation — I was disappointed that she took the option to go off."
Despite the heartbreak, both parties have moved on. Bill is dating
Paula Hurd — the widow of Oracle CEO
Mark Hurd. Melinda was first linked to entrepreneur
Philip Vaughn in 2024 after they were spotted
holding hands.
As for the ex-power couple's current dynamic, the two seem to be in a positive space. "Melinda and I still see each other — we have three kids and two grandchildren, so there are family events," Bill noted. "The kids are doing well. They have good values."
Last year, the businesswoman opened up about separating from Bill during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It gave us the privacy to do what needed to be done in private," she explained in an interview with
Time. "You know, I separated first before I made the full decision about a
divorce."
"To be able to do that in private while I'm still trying to take care of the kids, while still making certain decisions about how you're going to disentangle your life — thank God," the matriarch emphasized.
"I thought a lot about my three children," she continued about the drastic life change. "But I certainly thought about the effect on the foundation. Those are the three biggest buckets: me, the kids, and the foundation."
