William Henry Gates III is the co-founder of Microsoft and one of the world's most prominent philanthropists through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Epstein archive documents 709 emails involving Gates between 2010 and 2019, revealing a relationship that extended far beyond the "few dinners" Gates initially acknowledged. The correspondence shows Epstein possessed detailed allegations about Gates' personal conduct—including claims of sexual encounters, STD treatment, and cover-ups—that Epstein drafted into threatening letters in July 2013. These materials suggest a blackmail dynamic that persisted until months before Epstein's 2019 arrest.
Gates communicated with Epstein primarily through his science adviser Boris Nikolic and chief of staff Larry Cohen. The stated focus was a proposed donor-advised fund partnership, but the archive reveals visits to Epstein's Palm Beach property (where Epstein committed documented sex crimes), scheduling of "girls" before Gates' arrival times, and Epstein's 2017 inclusion of Gates as a character "validator" for a planned PR rehabilitation campaign.
Gates subsequently called the relationship "a huge mistake" and it became a factor in his 2021 divorce from Melinda French Gates.
The July 2013 Crisis: Explosive Allegations#
In July 2013, Epstein drafted at least eight versions of threatening letters addressed to Gates, some written as if from Boris Nikolic resigning from his position. These documents contain the most explosive allegations in the entire archive:
Sexual and Medical Allegations
In a July 18, 2013 letter, Epstein wrote that Gates "with tears in your eyes, implore me to please delete the emails regarding your std, your request that I provide you antibiotics that you can surreptitiously g[ive] to Melinda, and the description of your penis." The same letter references another secret topic: "You also made it clear to me that I am not to refer to[ws] as that is another topic that must remain between the two of us."
Multiple versions of a "resignation letter" drafted as if from Nikolic allege: "From helping Bill to get drugs, in order to deal with consequences of sex with russian girls, to facilictating his illicit trysts, with married women, to being asked to provide adderall fro bridge toumamnts." At least five versions of this resignation letter exist across the archive, with later drafts adding references to admitting "a temp moral failure."
Cover-Up Allegations
The longest version alleges Gates "asked me to be the major actor in a cover up so that you can maintain the reputation that you have worked so hard to achieve" and demanded Epstein "diligently avoid the truth, tell people that bill will not invest with me, and craft answers that suits yours and Melinda's needs."
Epstein claimed he was being dismissed after this incident, with Larry Cohen telling him "I engaged in morally inappropriate behavior." The letter references "Christine Turner. a casualty of a former accident"—another Gates employee apparently dismissed after a previous incident with similar two-year severance terms.
Financial Demands and Divorce Threats
Epstein wrote that as compensation "for keeping the gates reputation intact," he expected to keep agreed investment participations (describing "30-40 percent of a hundred million dollar partnership" worth "$30 million in today's dollars") plus two years severance. The letter states: "I am concerned that if Melinda decides as you said to file for a public divorce, the damage done to the pledge program alone would result in billions of dollars of money no longer being used for social good."
Critical Context: These are Epstein's drafts sent only to himself ([email protected]), not verified facts. They represent blackmail material Epstein was preparing. However, the specificity—STD, antibiotics for Melinda, penis description, Russian girls, Adderall, cover-up orchestration—and the existence of eight separate draft versions suggest Epstein was documenting leverage he believed he possessed.
December 2010: "Girls from 5-7, Gates from 7-"#
Gates was scheduled for dinner with Epstein on December 5 or 6, 2010 at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse. On November 28, 2010, Epstein instructed his assistant Lesley Groff: "girls should be form 5-7 gates from 7-"—scheduling young women to be at the property from 5-7pm, with Gates arriving at 7pm for the same dinner.
Gates cancelled on December 2, writing: "After talking with Melinda I have decided to leave New York City after the Pete Peterson meeting. So this means I won't have time to do another meeting and I won't be able to do the dinner with Jeff Epstein. I was looking forward to the dinner... on another trip I will try and do it."
The cancellation occurred four days after Epstein gave the "girls" instruction, meaning the arrangement was already in motion. Gates expressed he "was looking forward to the dinner" and would try on another trip, showing continued interest despite Melinda's influence in cancelling this particular meeting.
March 2013: Palm Beach Visit#
On March 1, 2013, Epstein wrote to Hollywood publicist Peggy Siegal: "Im in palm beach, with bill gates at the house". Siegal responded: "Very exciting about Bill Gates. Where is Melinda?"
This contradicts Gates' public statement: "I didn't go to New Mexico or Florida or Palm Beach." The property at 358 El Brillo Way was where Epstein committed documented sexual abuse of minors and the subject of his 2005-2006 police investigation. Siegal's question "Where is Melinda?" indicates Gates was there without his wife—a detail she found noteworthy.
The timing is significant: this March 2013 visit occurred approximately four months before the July 2013 threatening letters. This suggests a direct connection between events at the Palm Beach property and Epstein's subsequent allegations.
January 2019: The Final Pressure Campaign#
In the months before his arrest, Epstein launched an escalating pressure campaign against Gates:
- January 5, 2019: "hi, hope you guys had a nice holiday, I think at some point you want to reimburse me . . I feel awkward asking, but makes little sense"
- January 9, 2019: "i think best that when bill is on the east coast, we set aside an hour to meet"
- January 13, 2019: "dec 3 rd 2013, in wash, dc meeting at airport. . tarry said you have no recollection?? or at least he was not aware of your request and our conversations . odd"—referencing a secret December 2013 DC meeting where Gates apparently made a "request," combined with accusations that Larry Cohen was claiming amnesia
- January 20, 2019: "I hope you follow bezo s lead"—sent just weeks after Jeff Bezos publicly rejected blackmail from the National Enquirer
This sequence—demands for money, demands for meetings, references to secret 2013 meetings, and oblique threats about going public—occurred six months before Epstein's July 2019 arrest.
The Donor-Advised Fund: Cover or Purpose?#
The stated focus of Gates-Epstein correspondence was a donor-advised fund (DAF) partnership allowing billionaires to collaborate with the Gates Foundation. In August 2014, Gates sent slides and a narrative describing "the dilemma I faced in figuring out about giving and how the only path I saw was to create a new institution." Epstein wrote he was "confident, that with the right approach you will be able to raise at least 100 billion".
Following a December 2014 breakfast with potential partners, Gates wrote he "enjoyed the breakfast a lot" but concluded "I don't think we have any people at this point who will move to do something soon."
The DAF discussions provided legitimate business justification for continued contact. However, an unpublished profile article found in the archive claims: "it is Gates who at the end of the summer began prodding Epstein to begin a process of public rehabilitation"—suggesting Gates was actively working to restore Epstein's reputation, not merely tolerating him for fundraising purposes.
2017 PR Strategy: Gates as Epstein's "Validator"#
In August 2017, Epstein's PR consultant Matthew Hiltzik prepared a "JE Story Outline" listing crisis talking points. Under "Third Party Validators," the document lists Bill Gates alongside Lawrence Summers, Noam Chomsky, and others who would vouch for Epstein's character. The same month, Epstein invited Gates to "come visit. . time to have fun !! you look miserable" at his New Mexico ranch.
The PR outline instructs: "Provide validators from HIGH LEVEL ORGS NAMES to discuss JE's commitment and impact." Whether Gates knew about or consented to this listing is unknown, but it demonstrates that in August 2017—after Epstein's conviction and after Gates claims the relationship ended—Epstein's team considered Gates a potential character witness.
FBI Investigation: Microsoft Distancing#
On July 21, 2020, an FBI agent from the Seattle Crimes Against Children & Human Trafficking squad wrote: "One of our agents has a close friend who is a higher-up at Microsoft who made mention recently about the company distancing itself from Bill Gates to minimize exposure to any backlash that could come upon the company if information came out that Gates had been involved in illegal activity similar to that of Epstein."
This internal FBI communication occurred in July 2020—one year after Epstein's death and nine months before Gates' divorce announcement. It indicates Microsoft was internally preparing for potential Gates scandal related to Epstein-like "illegal activity."
Documented Meetings and Visits#
Confirmed or Highly Credible:
- March 2013: Palm Beach residence—"Im in palm beach, with bill gates at the house"
- March 14, 2014: Dinner in Seattle followed by visit to Paul Allen's Allen Institute
- September 2013: Dinner at Epstein's townhouse with Melinda present and Thorbjørn Jagland, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee
- September 2014: "with me monday 8th in ny (us open" at Epstein's townhouse
Planned but Cancelled:
- December 2010: Dinner at Manhattan townhouse cancelled after Melinda input
Secret Meeting:
- December 3, 2013: Washington DC airport meeting referenced in January 2019 email where Gates allegedly made unspecified "request"
The unpublished profile article describes "A week in late September, U.N. week as it happened, began, on Sunday, at Epstein's house with a colloquial for billionaires—Gates, TK, TK, TK"—placing Gates at Epstein's townhouse during UN week for gatherings with multiple billionaires.
Intermediaries and Network#
Boris Nikolic served as Gates' chief science and technology adviser (2009-2014) and primary intermediary with Epstein. In 2011, Nikolic introduced Epstein to Gates Foundation personnel as "a friend and a financial guru" with the caveat "he is notorious for some bad press ;)". Nikolic was centrally involved in the July 2013 crisis—Epstein drafted threatening letters as if they were Nikolic's resignation letters.
Larry Cohen, managing partner of bgC3 (now Gates Ventures), coordinated scheduling and was copied on 301 emails shared among Gates, Cohen, and Epstein. In January 2019, Epstein accused Cohen of claiming "no recollection" of the December 2013 DC meeting.
Matthew Hiltzik, Epstein's PR consultant, listed Gates as a character validator in August 2017 crisis materials.
Journalist Landon Thomas of the New York Times exchanged emails with Epstein in July 2010, joking about Turkish massages and prompting Epstein to offer: "if your turkish friend want to meet Gates, I can organize easily"—demonstrating Epstein's casual offer of Gates access as a commodity.
The Divorce Factor#
Melinda French Gates reportedly expressed discomfort with Bill's relationship with Epstein after meeting Epstein in 2013. The September 2013 dinner where "Bill is coming with Melinda now" was her documented exposure to Epstein. The Wall Street Journal reported that Melinda began meeting with divorce lawyers in October 2019, shortly after the New York Times published detailed reporting on the Gates-Epstein meetings.
When the couple announced their divorce in May 2021, the Epstein connection was widely cited as a contributing factor. Gates called the relationship "a huge mistake" and said he regretted "every minute" spent with Epstein.
Public Statements vs. Archive Evidence#
Gates has maintained his meetings with Epstein focused on philanthropy. He told the Wall Street Journal he met with Epstein because "people around him" suggested Epstein "knows a lot of rich people" who could support global health philanthropy.
However, several archive findings contradict Gates' public accounts:
- Gates publicly stated: "I didn't go to New Mexico or Florida or Palm Beach"—but Epstein's March 2013 email states "Im in palm beach, with bill gates at the house"
- Gates initially characterized the relationship as "a few dinners"—but the archive documents meetings spanning 2010-2017 across multiple cities and properties
- Gates claimed the relationship ended after learning of Epstein's past—but the August 2017 PR materials list Gates as a character validator, and January 2019 emails show Epstein still demanding meetings
Newly released documents from the Justice Department in early 2026 included Epstein's July 2013 allegations. A Gates spokesperson called them "absolutely absurd and completely false" and stated the documents demonstrate "Epstein's frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame."
Document References#
Gates appears in litigation arising from JPMorgan Chase's relationship with Epstein. A June 2023 stockholder derivative complaint alleges JPMorgan executives maintained Epstein as a client despite compliance warnings, noting "Epstein's reach also extended to the events and people who made JPM the institution it is today." A plaintiffs' memorandum references Epstein's connections to wealthy clients, though Gates is not directly named in available excerpts.
Unanswered Questions#
The archive raises questions that remain unresolved:
- What occurred at the Palm Beach property in March 2013 that may have led to the July 2013 crisis?
- What "request" did Gates make at the December 3, 2013 Washington DC airport meeting that Epstein referenced in 2019?
- Who is "Christine Turner," described as "a casualty of a former accident" who received similar severance?
- What reimbursement was Epstein demanding in January 2019?
- Did Gates know he was listed as a character validator in Epstein's 2017 PR materials?
- What is the nature of the redacted "[ws]" topic Epstein claimed "must remain between the two of us"?
The correspondence between Gates and Epstein reveals a relationship far more complex than "a few dinners about philanthropy." Whether the July 2013 allegations represent actual events or fabricated blackmail material, their existence—combined with documented visits to Epstein's properties, Epstein's 2019 pressure campaign, and Microsoft's reported 2020 distancing—suggests a relationship defined by leverage, secrecy, and ultimately, mutual exposure.