The release of a massive new tranche of documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has reignited controversy around Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, with unverified allegations surfacing once again in the public domain.
On Friday, the US Justice Department made public more than three million pages of records, along with over 2,000 videos and nearly 180,000 images, marking what officials called the final phase of a long review process. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the delay was due to efforts to protect the identities of more than 1,000 alleged victims.
Among the newly released materials are draft emails attributed to Epstein that focus on Gates. These documents include sensational claims alleging Gates engaged in sexual encounters with women described as “Russian girls” and later attempted to conceal an alleged sexually transmitted disease from his then-wife, Melinda French Gates. The emails appear to have been written by Epstein while posing as Gates’ former science adviser, Boris Nikolic.
The drafts further allege that Gates sought antibiotics to be secretly given to Melinda and asked that certain emails be deleted to prevent damage to his reputation. One email also suggests concerns that a public divorce could negatively affect large-scale philanthropic pledges tied to Gates’ public image.
The document release also revisits earlier reports that Epstein threatened to expose an alleged affair between Gates and Russian bridge player Mila Antonova in 2017, reportedly after Gates declined to join a charitable fund associated with Epstein.
Gates has strongly denied all allegations. A spokesperson dismissed the claims as “absolutely absurd and completely false,” stating that the documents only reflect Epstein’s frustration and his attempts to defame Gates after failing to maintain a relationship with him.
Bill and Melinda French Gates divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. Melinda has previously acknowledged that Gates’ extramarital relationships and his association with Epstein contributed to their separation.
Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges involving minors.
