Microsoft founder Bill Gates said it was "stupid" of him to have spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes.
His comments on Wednesday came after the release of nearly 3 million pages of documents related to Epstein.
In an interview with 9News Australia, Gates denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
He denied claims that he stayed on Epstein's island, where child abuse and human trafficking are suspected.
"It's factually true that I was alone at the dinners. I never went to the island, I never met any women," Gates said.
"And the more it comes to light, the clearer it will be that, although the timing was a mistake, it had nothing to do with that kind of behavior," he added.
The 70-year-old American businessman added: "I was a fool to spend time with him. I was one of many people who regret ever knowing him."
The Microsoft founder also denied the allegations mentioned in draft emails Epstein wrote in 2013, which were included in the latest batch of Justice Department documents released last Friday.
"Apparently, Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. Oh, that email was never sent. The email is fake," Gates said in the interview.
"So, I don't know what he was thinking there. It just reminds me that for every minute I spent with him, I regret and apologize for doing this," he added.
The US Department of Justice recently released thousands of documents related to Epstein under the Epstein Records Transparency Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on November 19.
The files include photos of prominent figures, grand jury transcripts and investigative data, although many pages were heavily redacted to protect the victims.
Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He pleaded guilty in a Florida state court and was convicted of exploiting a minor for prostitution in 2008, but critics called the relatively light sentence a “sweetheart deal.”
