So, these unsent draft emails in this particular situation have caught a lot of attention. What do you know about them?
That's right. Well, Aaron, 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.
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, you know, 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.
And that's his response, it seems like within the past day or so. Andrew, you dug into both the emails sent between the two, Epstein and Gates, and the meetings listed in the Justice Department files. Can you tell us what that showed?
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 hyperwealth 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.
Yeah. Years after that, of course, when he was a registered sex offender. Okay. Now, Melinda French Gates and 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, you know, too disgusting to recount. Here 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.
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.
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. 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 Ruemmler, a former Obama White House counsel and a friend of Epstein's, to reassure Melinda. He said, 'Bill met my friend Kathy Ruemmler, Obama counsel for five 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, Ruemmler 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.'
