Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, testified before the House Oversight Committee that Jeffrey Epstein might have tried to blackmail him regarding an affair. This information came from a transcript of his closed-door testimony on June 10, which was made public on Wednesday.
Gates, who voluntarily spoke to the committee inquiring into Epstein and his intricate network, detailed multiple meetings with Epstein between 2011 and 2014. These meetings were primarily aimed at generating funding for Gates’ global health initiative. He mentioned that he had “never witnessed or had any indication” of Epstein’s alleged criminal activities but did note that Epstein had made “veiled threats” that Gates speculated were related to the allegations against him.
In his opening remarks, Gates stated, “Epstein used information about my extramarital affair, along with many lies that the public learned from the disclosed files, to pressure me into remarrying.”
The committee’s inquiry leaned heavily on emails Epstein reportedly sent that involved Gates and individuals associated with him, including Dr. Boris Nikolic. Nikolic had previously worked for Gates and was aware of Epstein’s connection with a Russian woman. Interestingly, Gates mentioned three affairs—one with a Russian bridge player, another with a nuclear scientist from Russia, and the last with Dr. Alice Jacobs Nesselrod. Gates claimed that when he decided to dismiss Nikolic for knowing about his affairs, Epstein was directly involved in the conversations surrounding this decision.
During the hearing, committee members referred to a specific email from July 2013 where Epstein supposedly wrote, “Then, with tears in your eyes, you begged him to delete your sexually transmitted disease emails and begged you to provide him with antibiotics that he could secretly administer to Melinda.” Gates rejected the notion of having any sexually transmitted diseases and denied ever contemplating secretly providing antibiotics to his then-wife.
Gates noted that Epstein’s veiled threats often came in vague phrases, suggesting a desire for friendship. He responded by saying, “If I think I’m going to make more money out of this, it’s not going to happen, and if that means going out and telling people about things, I’m going to live with the pain and deal with it.”
He also expressed, “I wasn’t threatened, but looking at these emails, it seems like Epstein’s thoughts were heading in that direction.” After Gates cut off communication with Epstein, Epstein insisted that Gates repay the fees he had given to the Russian bridge player involved in the affair. Gates dismissed the idea of paying anything.
Gates clarified that he was initially unaware of the depth of Epstein’s misdeeds and believed that Epstein’s limited fundraising role was worth the risk. He emphasized that he ended the relationship once he realized Epstein was no longer of use to him as a donor contact. Gates categorically denied ever visiting Epstein’s private island or ranch and testified that he never witnessed any abuse of women by Epstein.
“I should never have met with Epstein,” Gates admitted, acknowledging that even if Epstein had delivered on promised donations, it wouldn’t have justified their connection. He reflected, “I was so focused on the possibility of raising money for global health that that goal overrode my better judgment.”
Gates concluded with an apology, stating, “If my time with Epstein gave him any credibility, I am truly sorry. I’ve learned an important lesson and will be more cautious about who I interact with, even in a limited capacity.”
Ongoing investigations by Congress into the Epstein matter continue.
