Bill Gates Claims Epstein Considered Blackmailing Him About Extramarital Affairs

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told the House Oversight Committee that Jeffrey Epstein may have considered blackmailing him about his extramarital affairs, according to the transcript of his June 10 closed-door testimony to Congress released Wednesday.

Gates voluntarily agreed to testify before the Congressional committee investigating Epstein and the late sex offender’s network of influential connections. The billionaire described a series of meetings with Epstein between 2011 and 2014 focused on raising money for his philanthropic Global Health initiative. Gates insisted he had “never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct” but admitted the man had made “veiled threats” that Gates could have associated with his affairs. (RELATED: We Asked Lawmakers Why Epstein’s Pall Bill Gates Was Allowed To Testify Behind Closed Doors)

“As the public can now see based on what has been released in the files, Epstein was working to use information about my infidelities, in addition to many lies that he layered on top, to pressure me to reengage with him,” Gates said in his opening statement.

The hearing primarily centered on emails that Epstein apparently sent to himself, to other individuals who knew Gates, and to Gates. Committee members specifically pressed Gates on his relationship with Dr. Boris Nikolic, his former science advisor and a backup executor of Epstein’s will, and with Dr. Melanie Walker, who worked at the Gates Foundation and also knew Epstein.

Gates referenced three extramarital affairs during the hearing — one with a Russian bridge player, one with a Russian nuclear scientist, and a third with Dr. Alice Jacobs Nesselrodt. Nikolic suggested Gates’ first dinner with Epstein and knew of Epstein’s affairs with the Russian women, according to Gates’ testimony. When Gates decided to end Nikolic’s employment because of this knowledge, Epstein inserted himself into the negotiations, Gates said.

Committee members brought up a July 2013 email Epstein sent to himself that reads, “You then subsequently, 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 give to Melinda.” Gates described the email as suggesting that Epstein was possibly considering ways to help Nikolic with his job negotiations. Gates denied both that he had an STD and that he even contemplated secretly giving antibiotics to his then-wife.

Gates said the veiled threats Epstein actually communicated took the form of vague statements like, “Hey, we should all want to be friends.”

“I took that on very explicitly and said, look, if you think you’re going to get more money out of this, it’s not going to happen, and if that means you go out and talk to people about things, I will just bear the pain of that and deal with it,” Gates said.

“And so I was — I was not blackmailed, but, you know, as you look at these emails, you know, it looks like Mr. Epstein’s brainstorming was going in that direction,” he added.

After Gates cut off contact, Epstein asked him to reimburse him for expenses he had paid for the Russian bridge player with whom Gates had an affair. Gates told his top worker at Gates Ventures that they would not pay anything.

Gates claimed he was unaware of the extent of Epstein’s crimes when he began interacting with him and thought that Epstein’s limited role in fundraising was worth the risk. The billionaire emphasized that he ended the relationship as soon as it became clear that Epstein was not connecting him with donors.

Gates also denied visiting Epstein’s private island, ranch, or Florida home. He explained the photos of himself with Epstein‘s female administrative assistants or friends by saying that Epstein had asked him to pose for them. He repeatedly testified that he had never seen Epstein abusing the women around him.

“I should never have met with Epstein in the first place. Based on what I know now, I understand that even if he had delivered the donors he promised, it would not have justified associating with him,” Gates said. “I was so focused on the possibility of raising funds for global health that I allowed that goal to override my better judgment.”

“If the time I spent with Epstein lent him credibility, I am deeply sorry. I’ve learned a significant lesson and am now far more careful about who I engage with, even in a limited capacity,” Gates added.

Congress’s investigation into the Epstein files remains ongoing.