Bill Gates Tells Congress Jeffrey Epstein Attempted to Use Personal Affairs as Leverage

By Staff, Agencies

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates told members of the US House Oversight Committee that Jeffrey Epstein tried to blackmail him using information about his extramarital relationships, according to newly released congressional testimony.

Gates appeared before lawmakers on June 10 as part of an ongoing investigation into Epstein’s network, activities and connections with influential individuals. The transcript of the closed-door interview was made public on Tuesday, drawing renewed attention to Gates’s past association with the disgraced financier.

Documents released by the US Justice Department contain allegations related to Gates’s personal life, including claims about affairs with Russian women, requests for drugs and a purported sexually transmitted infection. The files also reference discussions between Gates and Epstein concerning global health initiatives, disease eradication efforts, health data systems, and a pandemic simulation proposal prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.

During his testimony, Gates acknowledged meeting Epstein in 2011 despite being aware of his prior conviction. Gates said he hoped Epstein could help connect him with wealthy donors interested in supporting global health projects through the Gates Foundation. According to Gates, those efforts produced no meaningful results, and he ended contact with Epstein in 2014.

Gates testified that after their relationship ended, Epstein obtained sensitive information about his personal life and attempted to use it to pressure him into resuming contact. Gates stated that Epstein sought to exploit information regarding his infidelities, along with what he described as false allegations, but that the effort ultimately failed.

The Microsoft co-founder confirmed having relationships with two adult Russian women but emphasized that these individuals had no ties to Epstein’s criminal activities. He strongly denied allegations involving sexually transmitted infections, drug use, or any participation in criminal conduct. Gates also said Epstein never arranged sexual encounters or massages for him and that he never visited Epstein’s private island, New Mexico ranch, or Florida residence.

Questions have persisted for years about why Gates maintained contact with Epstein, who had no recognized expertise in public health despite participating in discussions about global health programs. Gates reiterated that the meetings were intended solely to explore potential philanthropic funding opportunities and resulted in no charitable donations.

He has repeatedly expressed regret for meeting Epstein and acknowledged that the association was a mistake.

The broader investigation into Epstein’s network continues to examine how the convicted offender maintained relationships with prominent figures in business, politics, and society following his 2008 conviction. Among those who have reportedly provided testimony are former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and businessman Les Wexner.