Bill Gates Tells Congress Epstein Pitched Billionaire Estate Connections

The House Oversight Committee released the transcript of Bill Gates' June 10 interview on Tuesday afternoon. Gates told the committee that Jeffrey Epstein pitched connections to billionaires planning their estates as a way to direct money to the Gates Foundation's global health work. Gates said he believed Epstein could serve as a referral source for billions in donations.

He described at least a dozen meetings with Epstein between 2011 and 2014 at the financier's Manhattan mansion, on a private jet, and over Skype. The discussions centered on raising funds for philanthropy, Gates stated. Gates said he first met Epstein in 2011 after an introduction by Boris Nikolic, who then worked for the Gates Foundation.

He added that he regrets the meetings. Gates disclosed that he cooperated with a US Virgin Islands investigation into Epstein's sex-trafficking operation and sat for an interview with investigators. He said he was unaware of Epstein's relationships with former Microsoft executives Steven Sinofsky and Nathan Myhrvold, former board member Reid Hoffman, and former Gates Foundation employee Melanie Walker.

Gates told the committee that Epstein used veiled threats to disclose affairs in order to maintain contact. After Gates cut ties in December 2014, Epstein requested reimbursement for several thousand dollars in expenses tied to one of the women, which Gates refused and viewed as an attempt to re-engage. Gates said he would bear the pain if Epstein disclosed information about the affairs.

He also discussed with Epstein a donor-advised fund idea for the Gates Foundation's Global Health Program at JPMorgan Chase, though he described it as a dead end. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to sex offenses in Florida and died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. His estate was valued at $630 million after his death.