Bill Gates rejects Epstein email claims, calls allegations ‘absurd and false’

WASHINGTON, DC: Bill Gates pushed back against shocking claims made in a resurfaced Jeffrey Epstein email after the Justice Department released millions of new records.

The Microsoft co-founder called the allegations “absurd” and denied any wrongdoing as the documents sparked fresh controversy.

Epstein email makes explosive claims about Bill Gates

The controversy began after the Department of Justice released more than three million documents on Friday, January 30, under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Among the records was a disturbing 2013 email written by Jeffrey Epstein that made graphic and unverified claims about Bill Gates’ private life.

The email, dated July 18, 2013, alleged that Gates had contracted a s*xually transmitted infection after encounters with “Russian girls” and had sought antibiotics to treat it. Epstein also claimed Gates asked him to delete emails related to the matter and included crude descriptions that quickly drew attention once the files became public.

The message appeared to be addressed to Boris Nikolic, a former senior adviser at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Epstein portrayed Nikolic as someone who had been pressured into helping with what he described as ethically and morally questionable requests.

One portion of the email claimed Nikolic had been asked to assist Gates in obtaining medication and facilitating private encounters. It also alleged requests involving d*ugs and personal favors. The language used in the email was explicit and deeply disturbing.

However, the email itself contains only Epstein’s claims and no supporting evidence.

Bill Gates’ spokesperson calls claims 'absurd and false'

Following public reaction to the documents, a spokesperson for Bill Gates strongly denied the allegations in a statement issued on Saturday, January 31.

“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.”

The statement suggested that Epstein was attempting to harm Gates’ reputation and exaggerate or invent claims after failing to maintain a relationship with him.

Gates has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein in the past but has repeatedly said those interactions were a serious mistake. He has also said he cut ties with Epstein after realizing the situation was wrong.

Nikolic has also denied having any business relationship with Epstein. In 2019, a spokesperson for Nikolic said he had no involvement with Epstein beyond what was publicly known.

Bill Gates reflects on Epstein ties and past regrets

Bill Gates has spoken openly in recent years about his regret over associating with Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019 while facing federal child s*x trafficking charges.

“In retrospect, I was foolish to spend any time with him,” Gates told The Wall Street Journal in a January 2025 interview. “So yes, I think I was quite stupid.”

Gates said he believed at the time that Epstein could help with global health philanthropy but later admitted that belief was a serious error. “It failed to do that. It was just a huge mistake,” he said.

He also said the Epstein scandal has made him far more cautious about who he meets. “Definitely,” Gates said. “I mean, are you kidding?”

The fallout from Epstein’s crimes has followed Gates into his personal life as well. In 2022, his former wife, Melinda French Gates, said his association with Epstein was one of several factors that led to their divorce.

“I did not like that he’d had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein,” she said in an interview at the time. “I made that clear to him.”

French Gates also revealed that she met Epstein once herself and immediately regretted it. “I regretted it from the second I stepped in the door,” she said. “He was abhorrent. He was evil personified.”