Bill Gates is set to testify before the US Congress about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein as part of an investigation into the convicted paedophile.
The House Oversight Committee has been carrying out a probe into the late financier, with several prominent figures – including Bill and Hillary Clinton – among those to have given evidence so far.
A spokesperson for Mr Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, said he “welcomes the opportunity” to face questions.
“While he never witnessed or participated in any of Epstein’s illegal conduct, he is looking forward to answering all the committee’s questions to support their important work,” they said in a statement.
The hearing is scheduled for 10 June.
There have been growing calls for high-profile individuals named in the Epstein files to testify about their ties to him and any knowledge of his crimes. Being named in the files does not imply wrongdoing.
The millions of documents released by the US justice department in recent months have included email exchanges between Epstein and Mr Gates, photos of whom have also featured.
Mr Gates maintains that his relationship and repeated meetings with Epstein were confined to philanthropy-related discussions and that it was a mistake for him to meet Epstein.
He told Australia’s 9News earlier this year: “Every minute I spent with him, I regret.”
Read more from Sky News:
Kanye West blocked from entering UK
Jeremy Hunt wants maternity law change
Also set to appear before the committee in the coming months is Donald Trump’s former attorney general Pam Bondi, who was sacked last week.
The president had reportedly grown frustrated over her handling of the Epstein files. The move to summon her to give evidence was spearheaded by a Republican, Nancy Mace, who said “the American people want answers”.
Epstein, a wealthy and well-connected financier, was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and was found dead in his prison cell in August that year.
His ties to some of the world’s most high-profile figures have come under heightened scrutiny after Mr Trump signed legislation passed by Congress last November requiring the justice department to release documents relating to its investigations into Epstein.
