Bill Gates reportedly had a much closer relationship with Jeffrey Epstein than he previously admitted and once called the wealthy pedophiles lifestyle intriguing.

The worlds second-wealthiest man had numerous meetings with Epstein, including at least three at his opulent Manhattan townhouse, and considered partnering with him in a charitable fundraising plan that could have netted Epstein $30 million in fees, the New York Times reported Saturday.

Gates first struck up his personal and business relationship with Epstein in 2011, when he was already a convicted pedophile.

After meeting Epstein for the first time in a late night gabfest at the mansion, Gates wrote an email to colleagues.

His lifestyle is very different and kind of intriguing although it would not work for me, Gates wrote, according to the Times.

The two men were reportedly joined by a Swedish ex-beauty queen and her 15-year-old daughter .

A very attractive Swedish woman and her daughter dropped by and I ended up staying there quite late, Gates reportedly wrote in the message.

A spokeswoman for Gates said he regrets ever meeting Epstein, particularly since Gates eponymous foundation has championed the cause of young womens well-being.

The spokeswoman said that Gates was referring solely to the unique dcor when he mentioned Epsteins intriguing lifestyle not his confessed predilection for sex with young women and girls.

The same mansion where Gates met Epstein played a central role in the accusations against the financier, who hanged himself in jail Aug. 10 while awaiting trial in a sprawling pedophilia scandal.

Epstein was accused of paying dozens of young women and girls for sex at the mansion. Some of the alleged victims say they were raped or trafficked to have sex with him, including at Little St. James, his private island off St. Thomas.

Even the decor that Gatess spokeswoman mentions might have been a clue that Epstein was a less-than-savory partner for a reputable philanthropist like Gates: witnesses have mentioned that Epsteins taste in art included giant photos and paintings of naked young girls.

Two senior employees of Gatess foundation reportedly had even more extensive ties to Epstein.

Melanie Walker, a former aspiring Victorias Secret underwear model, worked in different capacities for Epstein for about 15 years and lived in a building that he owned, starting soon after graduating from college, the paper reported.

She supposedly served as his so-called science adviser for several years.

After joining the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2006, she met with Epstein many times at his mansion.

Boris Nikolic, another top foundation executive, was close friend of Gates and was named as an executor in Epsteins will, a role he refused to accept after Epsteins suicide.

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Report: Bill Gates had cozier ties with Epstein than he admitted - Virgin Islands Daily News