Co-chair of Gates Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Epstein files: Drafts expose Bill Gates, Jeffrey Epstein relationship details
Billionaire Bill Gates faces fresh scrutiny for Epstein ties following Justice Department’s document release. The documents include the names of numerous high-profile men who interacted with Epstein — who died by suicide in 2019 awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges — a list that also included Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Elon Musk and the former Prince Andrew, among many others. All have denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein and have never been charged by law enforcement with any crimes.
0:00 KFILE on drafts allegedly written by Jeffrey Epstein
1:51 Bill Gates and Jef...
About Bill Gates
Bill Gates spoke at the inaugural Paul E. Farmer Butaro Dialogues in Rwanda in July 2026, where he reflected on the legacy of his friend Paul Farmer and discussed global health challenges. Gates noted that donor countries are shrinking aid budgets and that last year was the first time since the turn of the century that childhood deaths increased worldwide, with many of those additional deaths occurring in Africa. He argued that artificial intelligence should be directed toward those most in need, stating that if left to normal market forces, AI would primarily benefit wealthy countries, and that bringing AI to overloaded healthcare workforces in Africa could save many lives. Gates also shared personal anecdotes about Farmer, including a story about trekking through the Rwandan jungle with Farmer wearing a suit and tie while they discussed tuberculosis, malaria, and health data centers. He described how Farmer's work inspired his own daughters, with his oldest daughter Jennifer going on to study medicine after visiting Farmer's projects in Haiti. Gates told students at the event that "people like Paul proved that a better world is possible" and that "our task is to insist on it."
Transcript (29 segments)
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Aaron Burnett0:00
So, these unscent draft emails in this particular situation have caught a lot of attention. What do you know about them?
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Andrew Kaczynski0:04
That's right. Well, Erin, these two drafted emails are both dated July 18th, 2013, and they were saved in Jeffrey Epstein's email accounts. They appear to be draft emails from Epstein to himself. It's not actually clear who authored them, and there's no indication the messages were ever sent. No evidence they were shared with Bill Gates or anyone else.
Now, in those draft emails, Epstein or whoever authored them makes graphic and explicit and unverified allegations about Gates. Within one email, Epstein claimed he helped quote get drugs in order to deal with the consequences of sex with Russian girls and set up illicit trysts with married women. The email also references Gates asking Epstein to provide Adderall for bridge tournaments.
One draft email alleges that Gates tearfully asked Epstein to delete messages referencing an STD, writing, 'Your request that I provide you antibiotics that you surreptitiously give to Melinda.' It also says Gates asked him to delete explicit personal details about his penis.
Now, a representative for Gates strongly denied those claims, telling CNN they were quote absolutely absurd and absolutely false. And Gates himself was asked about this by a CNN affiliate in Australia. Take a listen to what he said here.
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Bill Gates1:13
Apparently Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. That email was never sent. The email is, you know, false. So I don't know what his thinking was there. It just reminds me, you know, every minute I spent with him I regret and I apologize that I did that. It's factually true that I was only at dinners. You know, I never went to the island. I never met any women. And so, you know, the more that comes out, the more clear it'll be that although the time was a mistake, it had nothing to do with that kind of behavior.
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Aaron Burnett1:43
And that's his response, it seems like, within the past day or so. Andrew, you dug into both the emails sent between Epstein and Gates and the meetings listed in the Justice Department files. Can you tell us what that showed?
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Andrew Kaczynski2:02
Well, what also stands out, Aaron, is how much Epstein was advising Gates on his philanthropic strategy more than previously known. And it appears in at least one of those emails that Gates took Epstein's advice seriously. For instance, an email exchange from August 2014 shows Gates and Epstein discussing Gates' approach to philanthropy.
Epstein wrote to Gates, 'I am confident that with the right approach, you'll be able to raise at least 100 billion. Everyone of hyper-wealth is dealing with the same issues. How to give some away? I can see that selling yourself is not your strong point.' To which Gates replied, 'I agree. I should not use slides or even do a presentation. I do think a bit about how surprised I am at how tough doing good philanthropy is and what really has worked might be interesting to them. I will find a time for us to talk this week.'
Those were not the only meetings. According to Epstein's calendars and emails, which we went through, Epstein's email listed a dinner with Gates in December 2010, a possible lunch in February 2011, followed by a dinner in April and October 2011.
The records also show a planned meeting in Norway in August 2012, another a week later. Two meetings in February 2013, a possible dinner in September 2013 in which Epstein extended an invite to a Norwegian diplomat. We also saw a Google calendar reminder for a Skype meeting with Gates in January 2014, a meeting and a phone call in September 2014.
And there's also this February 2011 message where Epstein emailed an individual whose name is redacted saying quote, 'You and I are invited to Seattle to spend serious time with Bill Gates.' And again, Aaron, all of this occurring years after his 2008 conviction.
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Aaron Burnett3:35
Yeah. Years after that, of course, when he was a registered sex offender. Okay. Now, Melinda French Gates, Bill Gates' ex-wife, they're divorced now. She broke her silence this week and she was candid about Epstein in the sense of what that entire thing did to their marriage and she talked about how she felt seeing her ex-husband as the subject of those draft emails and in all these other mentions of those draft emails that you went through that are too disgusting to recount here.
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Melinda French Gates4:09
She is, whatever questions remain there, of what I don't, can't even begin to know all of it, those questions are for those people. And for even my ex-husband, they need to answer to those things, not me. And I'm able to take my own sadness and look at those young girls and say, 'My god, how did that happen to those girls?' Right? And so for me, it's just sadness. Sadness for, you know, I've left, I had to, I left my marriage. I had to leave my marriage. I wanted to leave my marriage. I had to leave the, I felt I needed to eventually leave the foundation. For me, I've been able to move on in life. And I hope there's some justice for those now women.
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Aaron Burnett4:53
I mean, that was incredibly powerful. Your reporting suggests that Epstein appeared to be aware of the fact that Melinda Gates was uncomfortable with his relationship with Bill Gates.
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Andrew Kaczynski4:59
Yeah, that's absolutely right, Aaron. Remember, too, the Wall Street Journal previously reported Bill Gates' association with Epstein was a factor in their divorce. And we found a February 2017 text exchange between Epstein and a redacted intermediary who wrote about Gates. 'He wants to talk to you, but his wife won't let him.'
That same intermediary wrote to Epstein that Gates quote loves you and says hi, but made clear that Melinda objected to continued contact. Epstein then suggested Melinda connect with Kathy Rumler, a former Obama White House counsel and a friend of Epstein's, to reassure Melinda.
He said, 'Bill met my friend Kathy Rumler, Obama counsel for 5 years. She would love to sit with Melinda and give her the other side of Jeffrey Epstein,' adding she is quote an arch feminist who is my great defender. Now Rumler previously told CNN that she never met with Melinda Gates.
The redacted individual then replied about this exchange. 'Not sure individuals can influence once impressions are made, but I will try. I do not know for sure, but I do not think he would be unwilling to bring it up with her.'
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Aaron Burnett6:09
New details from the released Epstein files revealing the deceased pedophile's wide-reaching global network of the rich and powerful. Remember, it was August 2006 when Palm Beach police went public with their investigation. August 2006 when police said Epstein had committed unlawful sex acts with and lewd and lascivious molestation of five underage girls. 2006. Epstein would a couple years later be convicted on two counts of solicitation of prostitution. One of those counts involving a minor. So that's 2008. Yet these individuals associated with Epstein years after those facts were well known.
So today, let's start with a prominent name with which you might not be familiar. Brad Karp, the now former chairman of Paul Weiss, one of the nation's top corporate law firms representing some of the biggest companies in the world. Karp abruptly resigned yesterday following the release of his email exchanges with Jeffrey Epstein, such as this 2015 email in which Karp profusely thanked Epstein for hosting him, writing, quote, 'I can't thank you enough for including me in an I'll never forget. It was truly once in a lifetime in every way, though I hope to be invited again.'
Epstein responded, writing, quote, 'You are always welcome. There are many, many nights of unique talents. You will be invited often.' Unquote. Unique talents. These sort of cringy, chummy emails between Epstein and Karp continued as recently as February 2019. That's the year that Epstein showed up dead in his cell, later ruled suicide. And only months before he would face a second set of criminal charges for sex trafficking minors.
In a previous statement to the Wall Street Journal, the Paul Weiss firm said, quote, 'Mr. Karp never witnessed or participated in any misconduct. Mr. Karp two group dinners in New York City and had a small number of social interactions by email. All of which he regrets.' I bet he does.
Karp's own statement says quote, 'Recent reporting has created a distraction and has placed a focus on me that is not in the best interests of firm.' Despite stepping down as chairman, the law firm says Karp quote will continue to focus his full-time attention to client service at the firm.
We're also getting our first look at the hundreds of friendly text messages between Epstein and former Trump adviser Maga Svengali Steve Bannon. They include crude sexual jokes about women and Trump and discussions on countless other topics. Put together the communication suggest a much closer relationship between the two that was widely understood.
There's also a nearly two-hour long largely sympathetic interview filmed around 2019 that Bannon conducted with Epstein which was reportedly originally intended to be part of a documentary intended to, we believe, rehabilitate Epstein's image as something other than a pedophile and predator and trafficker in child rape.
Several exchanges from the interview stand out such as this one where Epstein is asked about being a sex offender.
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Jeffrey Epstein9:08
What are you? Class three sexual predator. Tier one. You're tier. Tier one's the highest and worst. No, I'm the lowest. You're the lowest. Okay. Tier one. You're the lowest. But a criminal. Yes.
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Aaron Burnett9:21
Bannon has not responded to CNN's request for comment. We should note that Bannon has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.