Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has strongly denied allegations contained in recently released documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, while his ex-wife Melinda French Gates said her former husband needs to address the claims himself.
The Justice Department on Friday released more than 3 million additional pages of documents connected to Epstein as part of its compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Among the materials were emails Epstein wrote to himself in 2013 that made serious allegations about Mr. Gates.
According to the documents, the emails, which appear to be draft messages and reference someone named Boris connected to Mr. Gates’ philanthropic work, contained claims that Gates had requested medication for a sexually transmitted disease to give to his then-wife without her knowledge. The emails also alleged that Epstein helped Mr. Gates arrange meetings with married women and “Russian girls.”
The emails contain no corroboration of the claims, and it remains unclear whether they were ever sent to Mr. Gates.
A spokesperson for Mr. Gates issued a strong statement rejecting the allegations.
“These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false,” the spokesperson said. “The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame.”
Mr. Gates has previously acknowledged meeting with Epstein on several occasions for what he described as philanthropic purposes, calling the relationship a “huge mistake.”
In an interview with NPR’s “Wild Card” podcast released Tuesday, Melinda French Gates said the latest document release brought back difficult memories but emphasized that questions about the allegations should be directed at her ex-husband.
“Whatever questions remain there of what—I can’t even begin to know all of it—those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband,” Ms. French Gates told NPR. “They need to answer to those things, not me.”
Ms. French Gates described the document release as bringing “unbelievable sadness” and said it reminded her of painful periods in her marriage.
“For me, it’s personally hard whenever those details come up, right? Because it brings back memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage,” she said, adding that she has since moved on with her life.
The Gateses divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. Ms. French Gates has previously indicated that Mr. Gates’ association with Epstein was a contributing factor to their divorce. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2021 that she began consulting with divorce attorneys in 2019, around the time Gates’ meetings with Epstein became public knowledge.
Epstein died by suicide in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The latest document release is part of the Justice Department’s efforts to provide transparency in matters connected to the disgraced financier, who had cultivated relationships with numerous powerful and influential figures.
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