Bill Gates says divorce from Melinda a 'very sad milestone,' meetings with Epstein a 'mistake'
The two are still communicating and working together on matters related to their Seattle-based global foundation
As the most talked about divorce was finalized on Monday, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates opened up about his divorce from wife Melinda Gates and his much-criticized relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein that she reportedly took issue with.
Gates told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Wednesday that the divorce was a "very sad milestone".
"Melinda is a great person and that partnership that we had coming to an end is a source of great personal sadness."
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The two are still communicating and working together on matters related to their Seattle-based global foundation.
Cooper then asked Gates about reports that Melinda was "concerned" about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and asked the Microsoft co-founder to explain the relationship the two had.
Calling it a 'mistake', he replied, "I had several dinners with him hoping that what he said about getting billions of philanthropy for global health through contacts he had might emerge. When it looked like that wasn't a real thing that relationship ended."
"It was a huge mistake to spend time with him and give him the credibility," he added
When asked about reports of workplace misbehaviour on Gates's part he suggested he has regrets.
"Certainly everyone does but it's a time of reflection, and at this point, I need to go forward," Gates said.
The couple filed for divorce on May 3 after 27 years of marriage but pledged to continue their philanthropic work together.
When they announced their divorce, the couple posted identical and simultaneous tweets that "after a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage."
In a divorce filing that day, French Gates called the marriage "irretrievably broken."
The Gateses said at the time that they had reached agreement on how to divide their marital assets.
No details of that agreement were disclosed in the final divorce order filed on Monday in King County Superior Court in Seattle.
The court did not issue money, property or spousal support judgments in the divorce. It said the couple must comply with the terms of the separation contract that was not filed in King County Superior Court.
