Bill Gates ‘took responsibility’ over Epstein ties in staff meeting, foundation says
Bill Gates acknowledged his past connections with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein during a staff meeting at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as reported by the foundation. The meeting was held in March 2021, where Gates addressed his meetings with Epstein several years ago. A spokesperson for the foundation stated that Gates “took responsibility for an error in judgment.” The foundation emphasized that Gates’ interactions with Epstein were a mistake and that Gates regrets them.
Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges, had connections with various high-profile individuals, including Gates. Reports have previously indicated that Gates had met with Epstein multiple times, with some of the meetings allegedly taking place at Epstein’s mansion in New York City.
The acknowledgment of these past connections came amidst increased scrutiny following the divorce announcement of Bill and Melinda Gates. The foundation clarified that Melinda Gates had raised concerns about her husband’s association with Epstein, which contributed to the couple’s decision to end their marriage.
Gates’ spokesperson reiterated that the Microsoft co-founder regrets the interactions with Epstein and continues to be committed to the foundation’s work. The foundation stated that it is focused on its mission to address global challenges, including poverty alleviation and healthcare improvements, amid the ongoing developments.
Sources Analysis:
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – The foundation has an interest in maintaining its reputation and donor support, which could influence the way it presents the information regarding Bill Gates’ ties to Epstein.
Fact Check:
Acknowledgment of past connections between Bill Gates and Jeffrey Epstein at a staff meeting – Verified facts. This information is confirmed by the foundation spokesperson.
Melinda Gates raised concerns about Bill Gates’ association with Epstein – Verified facts. This information is confirmed by the foundation as well.
Jeffrey Epstein’s connections with high-profile individuals – Verified facts. Epstein’s network of influential people, including Bill Gates, has been widely reported in the media.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Bill Gates ‘took responsibility’ over Epstein ties in staff meeting, foundation says”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.