Billionaire Bill Gates has publicly denied new allegations linked to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, while expressing regret and apologizing for having associated with him in the past.

In his first response to the latest revelations, Gates stated: “The email is fake. I never went to the island, and I deeply regret ever knowing him.” His comments came after controversial documents related to the Epstein case were released by the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to reports by The Daily Beast and ABC, the newly released files allege that Gates had extramarital affairs during his marriage to Melinda French Gates and suggest he contracted a sexually transmitted disease. The allegations are based in part on a draft email Epstein reportedly wrote to himself in July 2013, which appeared to imply Gates had asked Epstein to suppress damaging information.

Speaking in an interview with Australian media on February 4, Gates categorically rejected all claims. He said the email in question was never sent and was entirely fabricated by Epstein. “Jeffrey wrote that email to himself. It’s fake. I don’t know what he was trying to do, but it makes me regret every moment I had any contact with him,” Gates said, adding an apology for what he called a “stupid mistake” in engaging with Epstein.

Gates acknowledged that he met Epstein starting in 2011 and attended several dinners over the following years, believing Epstein could help attract wealthy donors to global health initiatives. “Looking back, that path clearly led nowhere,” Gates said. “Many people regret having known him. I am one of them.”

He firmly denied ever visiting Epstein’s private island or engaging in any illegal or inappropriate conduct. “I attended a few dinners, nothing more. I never met any women there, and I was never involved in those kinds of activities,” Gates stressed.

When asked whether the renewed attention around the Epstein case troubled him, Gates said public scrutiny was inevitable. “People have the right to hold successful individuals to high standards. When documents like these are released, they will naturally be examined closely,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation dismissed the allegations as baseless, stating that they originated from “a proven con artist acting out of resentment.” The statement added that Epstein appeared to lash out after failing to secure financial benefit from proposed collaborations involving the Gates Foundation and JPMorgan.

The foundation emphasized that the documents reveal more about Epstein’s attempts to manipulate and discredit Gates than about any wrongdoing by the Microsoft co-founder.