Bill Gates: Jeffrey Epstein Tried to Blackmail Me Over Affairs

Bill Gates offered new details about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein during a closed-door House Oversight Committee hearing, describing a professional association that lasted from 2011 to 2014 and alleging that the disgraced financier later attempted to blackmail him after learning about an extramarital affair.

According to Gates’s account, the meetings with Epstein were focused on philanthropy, fundraising and efforts to connect wealthy donors with global health initiatives supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates told lawmakers that Epstein ultimately failed to deliver on the fundraising opportunities he had promised.

Gates testified that his relationship with Epstein ended in late 2014 after he concluded that the financier would never provide the donor network and philanthropic support he had discussed. The billionaire said the association was professional in nature and did not evolve into a personal friendship.

According to Gates’s testimony, Epstein’s alleged blackmail attempt began after the financier became aware of an extramarital relationship involving Gates. Gates told lawmakers that Epstein attempted to leverage that information and supplemented it with false claims in an effort to regain influence and reestablish a professional relationship.

The testimony comes after renewed attention surrounding Epstein’s network following the release of newly declassified documents earlier this year. The disclosures placed Gates back under public scrutiny and reignited questions about why one of the world’s most prominent philanthropists continued meeting with Epstein years after the financier’s 2008 conviction.

The renewed controversy follows years of public attempts by Gates to distance himself from Epstein. In previous interviews, Gates acknowledged meeting Epstein but repeatedly rejected characterizations suggesting a personal friendship. «I met him. I didn’t have any business relationship or friendship with him.» Gates said when discussing the relationship.

Gates has also publicly admitted that spending time with Epstein damaged his reputation and inadvertently helped the financier rehabilitate his image. «It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there.» Gates said. The remarks have resurfaced as the latest document releases fuel renewed debate about the relationship.

Additional attention has focused on documents and draft communications linked to Epstein that reportedly referenced Gates directly. Among the materials were draft messages allegedly written by Epstein in 2013 that contained personal allegations concerning Gates and claimed knowledge of private matters involving his marriage. Their release generated extensive media coverage and renewed questions about Epstein’s methods.

The controversy coincided with Gates’s decision to withdraw from a planned keynote appearance at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. In a statement explaining the decision, the Gates Foundation said: «After careful consideration and to ensure the focus remains on the AI summit’s key priorities, Mr Gates will not be delivering his keynote address.» The withdrawal occurred as scrutiny surrounding the Epstein-related materials intensified.

The renewed attention has also prompted public comments from Melinda French Gates, who described the emotional impact of revisiting that period of her life. In a recent interview, she said the controversy revived «memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage.» Her comments brought renewed focus to the personal consequences of the Epstein controversy.

While avoiding direct accusations, Melinda French Gates emphasized that unanswered questions should be addressed by those involved. «Whatever questions remain there — I can’t even begin to know all of it — those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me.» Her remarks underscored how the Epstein scandal continues to generate scrutiny years after Epstein’s death and long after many of the relationships involved had ended.