The relationship between Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates- Jeffrey Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender, and Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, has been a subject of intense scrutiny. Their interactions, which began in 2011, have raised questions about Gates’s judgment, his philanthropic endeavors, and the impact on his personal life, including his divorce from Melinda French Gates. This article provides a detailed, fact-checked account of their connection, focusing on verified interactions, public statements, media reactions, and relevant investigations. All information is drawn from credible sources, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other reputable outlets.
Timeline of Encounters
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Gates first meets Epstein—about 2 years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction—for philanthropy discussions. |
| 2013 (Fall) | Gates and wife Melinda attend a dinner at Epstein’s New York home; Melinda was reportedly uncomfortable . |
| 2013 (Mar) | Meetings held in Strasbourg with Nobel Committee chair Thorbjørn Jagland to discuss Nobel Peace Prize and Gates Foundation initiatives . |
| 2017 | Epstein allegedly threatened to expose Gates’ alleged affair involving a Russian bridge player unless Gates maintained ties . |
| 2019 | Epstein arrested; Gates publicly distances himself . |
| 2021 | Gates calls meetings “a huge mistake,” acknowledging they damaged his marriage and reputation . |
What Gates Has Said
- “Huge mistake”: In interviews with The Week and People, Gates called his meetings “a huge mistake” and said it was “foolish to spend any time with him”.
- Explained that he initially hoped Epstein would use his contacts to support global health philanthropy—but “it failed to do that.”
- Emphasized they never had a business relationship and Epstein did not make donations to Gates causes
Timeline of Known Interactions Between Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates
The connection between Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates spans several years, beginning after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Below is a chronological overview of their known interactions, based on documented evidence.
2011: Initial Meetings and Philanthropic Discussions
The first documented meeting between Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates occurred in 2011 at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse. According to The New York Times, Gates met Epstein several times that year to discuss potential fundraising for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. These meetings took place after Epstein had served a 13-month sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor and was registered as a sex offender.
On May 3, 2011, Gates and Epstein were photographed at Epstein’s townhouse alongside James E. Staley, a senior JPMorgan executive at the time, former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, and Boris Nikolic, a science adviser to the Gates Foundation. The meeting reportedly focused on Epstein’s proposal to create a multibillion-dollar charitable fund with JPMorgan Chase, which would involve ultra-wealthy individuals like Gates.
In late 2011, at Gates’s direction, a team from the Gates Foundation visited Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse for preliminary talks about philanthropic fundraising. Three individuals present at the meeting confirmed these discussions, though no formal partnership materialized.
2013: Continued Meetings and Melinda’s Concerns
In September 2013, Bill and Melinda Gates met Epstein at his Upper East Side mansion in New York City, on the same day they accepted the Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award at the Pierre Hotel. The Daily Beast reported that Melinda Gates was deeply uncomfortable with Epstein, describing him as “evil personified” after the meeting and urging Bill to end contact.
Despite Melinda’s concerns, Gates continued to meet Epstein. The New York Times noted that Gates attended multiple dinners at Epstein’s home, where Epstein often surrounded himself with young women, though Gates’s spokeswoman, Bridgitt Arnold, denied that Gates socialized with Epstein or that women participated in their meetings.
In November 2013, Epstein introduced Gates to Mila Antonova, a Russian bridge player seeking funding for an online bridge tutorial platform. The meeting occurred at Epstein’s townhouse, with Boris Nikolic also present. Antonova pitched her initiative but received no investment from Epstein. Later, Epstein paid for Antonova to attend a software coding school, which would become a point of contention years later.
2014: A Packed Day of Meetings
On September 8, 2014, Epstein’s calendar documented a busy day of meetings with high-profile individuals, including Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates, at various locations in New York City. According to The Wall Street Journal, Epstein met Gates at the Park Hyatt hotel near Central Park, alongside Thomas Pritzker, Leon Black, and Mortimer Zuckerman. The meetings were part of Epstein’s efforts to involve Gates in his proposed charitable fund with JPMorgan. The Journal could not confirm whether all scheduled meetings occurred between Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates.
Later in 2014, Gates and Epstein’s relationship reportedly cooled after the charitable fund discussions failed to progress. Epstein complained to an acquaintance that Gates was no longer engaging with him.
2017: Epstein’s Alleged Blackmail Attempt
In 2017, Epstein reportedly sent an email to Gates, requesting reimbursement for Antonova’s coding school tuition, which Epstein had covered. The Wall Street Journal reported that the email’s tone implied Epstein could expose Gates’s alleged affair with Antonova from around 2010. Gates’s spokesperson denied any financial dealings with Epstein and stated that Gates did not pay the requested reimbursement.
Locations and Attendees of Meetings
Most documented meetings between Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates took place at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse, a lavish Upper East Side residence. Other locations included the Park Hyatt hotel in New York City for the September 2014 meeting. Attendees at various meetings included:
- James E. Staley, a JPMorgan executive, and Lawrence Summers, former Treasury Secretary, at the May 2011 meeting.
- Boris Nikolic, Gates Foundation science adviser, present at multiple meetings, including the 2011 and 2013 discussions.
- Melinda French Gates, who attended the September 2013 meeting and expressed strong disapproval of Epstein.
- Mila Antonova, introduced to Gates by Epstein in November 2013 for her bridge project pitch.
Bill Gates’s Public Statements on Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates
Bill Gates has consistently expressed regret for his association with Jeffrey Epstein, emphasizing that their interactions were solely for philanthropic purposes. In a 2019 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Gates stated, “I didn’t have any business relationship or friendship with him,” denying any personal or social connection. He claimed he met Epstein to explore fundraising opportunities for global health through Epstein’s wealthy contacts.
In 2021, during an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Gates reiterated, “It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there.” He acknowledged having “several dinners” with Epstein, hoping to secure “billions of philanthropy” for global health, but ended the relationship when it became clear the funds were not forthcoming.
In a 2023 interview with Australia’s ABC 7.30, Gates expressed frustration at repeated questions about Epstein, saying, “You’re going way back in time,” and noting he had addressed the issue “over the hundredth time.” He maintained that the meetings Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates were a mistake and should not have occurred.
Most recently, in a January 2025 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Gates called his interactions with Epstein Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates “foolish and stupid,” admitting they failed to advance his philanthropic goals and made him more cautious about new connections.
Statements from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through spokeswoman Bridgitt Arnold, has consistently downplayed the relationship between Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates. In 2019, Arnold stated, “Bill Gates regrets ever meeting with Epstein and recognizes it was an error in judgment to do so.” She emphasized that Gates’s interactions were for philanthropic purposes and that Epstein misrepresented the nature of these meetings.
Regarding a $2 million donation from Gates to MIT’s Media Lab in October 2014, which university officials linked to Epstein’s influence, Arnold clarified, “There was no intention, nor explicit ask, for the funding to be controlled in any manner by Epstein.” The foundation denied any formal partnership with Epstein, stating that the proposed multibillion-dollar fund never materialized.
Arnold also refuted claims that Gates socialized with Epstein, denying allegations of parties or young women at their meetings. She maintained that Gates’s engagement was strictly professional and aimed at exploring fundraising opportunities.
Connections to Donations, Philanthropy, and Gates’s Divorce
Donations and Philanthropy
Epstein pitched a multibillion-dollar charitable fund to Gates, proposing to raise funds from wealthy individuals and JPMorgan clients, with Epstein earning a 0.3% fee on contributions. The Wall Street Journal reported that Epstein circulated a proposal suggesting he could personally earn $30 million if he raised $10 billion. Gates and the Gates Foundation were unaware of Epstein’s fee structure, and the fund never came to fruition.
The $2 million donation to MIT’s Media Lab in 2014, attributed to Gates but reportedly “directed” by Epstein, sparked controversy. The Gates Foundation denied Epstein’s involvement, stating the donation was solely Gates’s decision.
Impact on Gates’s Divorce
The connection between Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates played a significant role in the dissolution of Gates’s 27-year marriage to Melinda French Gates. The Wall Street Journal reported that Melinda began consulting divorce lawyers in 2019, shortly after The New York Times exposed Gates’s meetings with Epstein. Melinda’s concerns dated back to at least 2013, when she met Epstein and found him “abhorrent.”
In a 2022 CBS interview, Melinda French Gates confirmed that Gates’s meetings with Epstein were a factor in their divorce, stating, “I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no. I made that clear to him.” She described her single encounter with Epstein as deeply disturbing, reinforcing her disapproval.
The Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates connection, combined with allegations of Gates’s workplace misconduct, including a 2000 affair with a Microsoft employee, contributed to tensions in the marriage. The couple announced their divorce in May 2021, finalized in August 2021.
Media Investigations & Fact‑Checking about Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates
- The New York Times (Oct 2019) first detailed Gates’s multiple meetings with Epstein despite his status as a registered sex offender.
- Fact‑check outlets debunked false claims about extensive visits to Epstein’s island—Gates flew once on Epstein’s plane, never visited Little St. James.
Public & Media Reaction
- Gates’s admission of poor judgment triggered both scrutiny and criticism across social media and reputable news sources.
- High-profile figures like Elon Musk criticized him sharply, with Musk saying he “wouldn’t trust that guy to babysit my kids” over the Epstein association.
- A poll showed public disapproval of the broader handling of Epstein-related disclosures—but Gates himself wasn’t the direct focus of that poll.
Legal and Ethical Dimensions
- Gates never faced legal consequences; the controversy is centered on ethics, reputation, due diligence, and judgment.
- Raises broader questions about how prominent figures vet associations, especially after criminal convictions.
Summary
The connection between Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates, spanning 2011 to 2014, centered on discussions about a proposed multi billion-dollar charitable fund that never materialized. Key meetings occurred at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse and the Park Hyatt hotel, involving figures like Boris Nikolic and Mila Antonova. Gates has repeatedly called the relationship a “huge mistake,” citing failed philanthropic goals, while the Gates Foundation denied any formal partnership. The association contributed to Melinda French Gates’s decision to pursue divorce in 2019, finalized in 2021. Media outlets like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal exposed details of their meetings and Epstein’s alleged blackmail attempt, prompting public skepticism. No evidence links Gates to Epstein’s crimes, but the controversy between Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates continues to shape perceptions of Gates’s judgment.
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