Draft emails attributed to Jeffrey Epstein and released by the US Department of Justice allege that Bill Gates feared he had contracted a sexually transmitted disease and sought to quietly address the situation without his wife’s knowledge. The claims, which Gates has categorically denied, appear in a cache of millions of documents made public as part of investigations into the late financier, who died in federal custody in 2019.
The emails, dated July 18, 2013, were written by Epstein to himself and addressed in part to “Bill.” In them, Epstein alleged that the Microsoft co-founder had asked him to help obtain antibiotics after believing he had contracted an STD during encounters with Russian prostitutes. Epstein further claimed that Gates intended to give the medication to his wife, Melinda French Gates, “surreptitiously,” suggesting fears of transmission and an effort to conceal the issue.
In one of the most inflammatory passages, Epstein accused Gates of later begging him to delete emails referring to the alleged infection, the antibiotics, and explicit personal details. Epstein wrote that Gates had “with tears in your eyes” implored him to erase the correspondence, framing the episode as a betrayal after what Epstein described as six years of friendship.
A spokesperson for Gates dismissed the allegations outright, stating that they are “absolutely absurd and completely false.” There is no independent evidence supporting the claims in the emails, which appear to be drafts and were not confirmed as having been sent to Gates or anyone else. Melinda French Gates, now Gates’s ex-wife, was contacted for comment following the release of the documents.
The files also suggest that some of the emails may have been drafts of resignation letters written by Epstein in the voice of Boris Nikolic, a physician and former senior adviser to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In those drafts, Epstein described being drawn into a severe marital dispute between Bill and Melinda Gates and alleged he had been asked to assist with conduct ranging from ethically questionable to potentially illegal, including obtaining drugs linked to sexual encounters.
Nikolic, who later resigned from his role at the foundation, is not accused of authoring the emails or endorsing their contents. There is no indication he was aware of the claims, and a spokesman has previously said that Nikolic had no business relationship with Epstein beyond limited overlap in professional circles. Nikolic did not respond to requests for comment after the documents were made public.
The justice department release also includes photographs of Gates and Epstein together at undisclosed locations, underscoring their past association. Gates has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein several times, later describing the relationship as a serious error in judgment. The renewed attention comes years after Bill and Melinda Gates announced their divorce in 2021, amid reports that her concerns over her husband’s dealings with Epstein contributed to the end of their 27-year marriage.
