Newly unsealed court documents from Bill Gates’s deposition in the Jeffrey Epstein case have sent shockwaves through the charitable sector, prompting UK regulators to announce a formal review of major philanthropic trusts. The transcripts, released this morning, show Gates admitting to multiple meetings with Epstein after the financier’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor, contradicting earlier claims of a limited association.
For working families across the North, this story cuts close to the bone. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pours millions into UK education and public health. But when the richest man in the world dances with a convicted sex offender, it makes you wonder whose interests are really being served.
The Charity Commission confirmed it will examine the foundation’s governance procedures. A spokesperson said: “We expect all charities to operate with integrity. The revelations raise serious questions about due diligence.” Meanwhile, Unison, the UK’s largest public sector union, called for an independent inquiry into the foundation’s UK activities.
Gates (67) told lawyers he regretted his association with Epstein, but the deposition reveals he continued meeting him for years. “I had dinners, I had meetings. I went to his house. I went to his office.” The admission exploded the carefully crafted image of the tech titan turned global saviour.
At the factory gates in Leeds and Sheffield, workers I spoke to were cynical. “They’re all the same,” said Darren, a steelworker. “Tax dodgers and now this. My kids use those computers his charity gives to schools. What message does that send?”
Epstein died in 2019 in a Manhattan jail cell. But his ghost haunts the corridors of power. The deposition also reveals Gates introduced Epstein to wealthy figures including a former UK prime minister.
The government has so far refused calls for a full public inquiry. But Labour’s shadow charities minister demanded the Chancellor review tax exemptions for foundations linked to individuals under criminal investigation.
This is not just about one billionaire’s poor judgment. It’s about a system that lets the ultra-rich shape public life with few checks. While families in Rotherham struggle with food banks, Gates can fly to Epstein’s island without consequence. The UK must act. Regulation is not just a box ticking exercise. It is a protection against the rot that sets in when money buys silence.
More details are expected as the full transcript emerges. But one thing is clear: the halo has slipped, and the regulator needs to look very closely at who is really benefiting from these foundations.
