Bill Gates is set to testify Wednesday before a congressional panel investigating Jeffrey Epstein, adding another high-profile name to the probe into the disgraced financier's network. The billionaire Microsoft co-founder will appear behind closed doors before the House Oversight Committee, with transcripts often released later.
Republican U.S. Rep. James Comer, the committee chairman, formally requested Gates' testimony after he appeared multiple times in a trove of documents released by the Justice Department. The files include calendar entries for meetings between Gates and Epstein, email correspondence about philanthropic projects, and photos of Gates at events both attended.
The documents read like a who's who of powerful men across tech, finance, politics and other industries. All have denied involvement in Epstein's crimes, though some maintained or formed friendships with him even after his history of sexual abuse came to light. Gates' professional relationship with Epstein began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting a minor.
This closed-door format follows the pattern the committee has used with other witnesses in the investigation. The panel is expected to continue gathering testimony from other figures linked to Epstein as part of a broader effort to examine the full scope of his network and potential failures in the justice system.
The testimony places Gates among a growing list of powerful men whose associations with Epstein have come under scrutiny, though the committee has not publicly specified what questions they intend to pursue with the Microsoft co-founder.