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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has stated that it never made financial payments to Jeffrey Epstein nor employed the late financier, after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a trove of emails referencing communications between Epstein and foundation staff. The clarification comes amid renewed scrutiny over Epstein’s connections to prominent public figures and institutions.
In an official statement, the Gates Foundation said a small number of employees had contact with Epstein based on his claims that he could help mobilize substantial philanthropic funding for global health and development initiatives. According to the foundation, these interactions were exploratory and focused solely on the possibility of securing additional resources to support its global programs.
“Ultimately, the foundation did not pursue any collaboration with Epstein and no fund was ever created,” the organization said. It also expressed regret that any employees had interacted with him in any capacity.
Founded in 2000 by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, the Gates Foundation is one of the world’s largest private philanthropic organizations. It plays a major role in funding global health, poverty reduction, and development programs. Bill Gates currently serves as chair and board member.
The DOJ’s release of millions of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein has shed light on his associations with numerous high-profile individuals. Records indicate that Bill Gates met with Epstein multiple times after Epstein served a prison sentence in 2008 for prostitution-related charges, including soliciting an underage girl. Documents also reportedly include images of Gates with women whose identities were redacted.
Bill Gates has previously acknowledged that meeting with Epstein was a mistake, emphasizing that their discussions were limited to philanthropic matters. Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges; his death was ruled a suicide.
