Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist, Bill Gates, has admitted to having two extra-marital affairs and publicly apologised to staff of the Gates Foundation over his past association with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

Gates made the remarks during a town hall meeting with foundation employees on Tuesday, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The relationship between Gates and Epstein first came to light in October 2019. However, fresh details reportedly emerged following the recent release of documents by the United States Department of Justice concerning the late financier.

Among the documents is an email in which Epstein allegedly claimed that Gates had contracted a sexually transmitted infection and sought antibiotics to secretly administer to his then-wife, Melinda. Gates has firmly denied the allegation.

The records also reportedly outlined several meetings between the tech magnate and Epstein, including dinners, phone calls and discussions bordering on philanthropy.

Expressing regret, Gates apologised for introducing foundation executives to Epstein during some of those meetings, describing the association as a “huge mistake.”

“I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,” Gates was quoted as saying in a recording reviewed by the Journal.

He disclosed that he met Epstein in 2011 but failed to conduct proper background checks at the time, despite Epstein having previously pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution.

Gates said he continued to meet Epstein until 2014, including encounters abroad, but insisted that he neither stayed overnight at Epstein’s residence nor visited his private island. He also maintained that he had no involvement in Epstein’s criminal activities.

Speaking on the admitted affairs, Gates said he met the two women independently through his social and business engagements.

“One of the women was a Russian bridge player whom I met at bridge events, and the other was a Russian nuclear physicist,” he said.

The association reportedly persisted even after Melinda expressed reservations about Epstein.

In a recent interview, Melinda said the renewed public scrutiny following the document release had resurfaced “painful times” in her marriage, adding that she was “so happy to be away from all the muck.”