Bill Gates’ absence from the India AI Summit has been the biggest embarassment for the global philanthropist since his name emerged in the high-stakes Epstein scandal.
For decades, he has been celebrated as a visionary technocrat and a pivotal ally to developing nations like India. However, a shadow has lengthened over this legacy as his historical ties to the late, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein resurface with details that will give shivers to any moral society.
While the Microsoft co-founder has long maintained that their meetings were strictly for charitable purposes, the narrative shifted dramatically in early 2026. Newly released Department of Justice (DOJ) documents have pierced the veil of privacy, bringing to light disturbing details that challenge the public image of the world’s most prominent billionaire.
Epstein’s first conviction was in 2008, yet Gates began meeting him in 2011. Investigations by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal show that the two met multiple times, including at Epstein’s Manhattan home and the notorious island infamously linked to child trafficking, rape and abuse.
Bill Gates and Jeffrey Epstein: How a friendship turned controversial
Even though Bill Gates has not been charged or convicted of any charges, his name has emerged in thousands of emails released by the US Justice Department, unearthing unsettling details over his conduct and relationship with a child trafficker, who committed suicide after being convicted for the charges.
Among the millions of documents released by the US Justice Department in 2026 is a draft email from 2013 that Epstein apparently wrote to himself. In it, Epstein claimed Gates had an affair with a Russian bridge player and that he had contracted a sexually transmitted disease. The email also alleged that Gates asked for antibiotics to be secretly given to his then-wife, Melinda Gates. Records also show that Gates flew on Epstein’s private jet, often called the “Lolita Express,” from New Jersey to Florida in 2013.
It is not clear if Epstein actually sent these emails to anyone. Gates has strongly denied all these claims, calling them “false.”
Bill Gates’ response
It is not proven whether Epstein actually sent these emails to anyone.
In an interview to 9News Australia on 4 February, 2026 Gates stated, “Apparently, Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. Ah, that email was never sent. The email is false. So, I don’t know what his thinking was there. It just reminds me that every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologise I did that.”
A representative for Gates told CNN, “These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false. 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. While Mr. Gates acknowledges that meeting with Epstein was a serious error in judgment, he unequivocally denies any improper conduct related to Epstein and the horrible activities in which Epstein was involved. Mr. Gates never visited Epstein’s island, never attended parties with him, and had no involvement in any illegal activities associated with Epstein.”
The documents also show Gates and Epstein exchanging many emails about Gates’ charitable work. These interactions happened after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for prostitution-related crimes. Gates’ efforts focused on global health and poverty reduction, as part of his work with the Gates Foundation. Epstein often offered advice on Gates’ philanthropy, and Gates sometimes agreed with his suggestions.
Alleged crack in friendship
According to CNN, the unsent draft emails from July 2013 suggest that at the time, there may have been a break in the Gates-Epstein relationship. In these drafts, Epstein claimed he helped Gates get drugs for “illicit trysts, with married women” and even referenced Gates asking him for Adderall for bridge tournaments. Another draft alleges Gates asked Epstein to delete messages about a sexually transmitted disease and other personal details.
These claims remain unverified. There is no evidence that Gates ever saw these emails or that he was involved in any criminal activity.
The files detail multiple meetings and dinners between Gates and Epstein, including a dinner in December 2010, a lunch in February 2013, meetings in April and October 2011, a meeting in Norway in August 2012 and another a week later, two meetings in February 2013, a possible dinner in September 2013 with a Norwegian diplomat, a Skype call in January 2014, and a meeting and phone call in September 2014. Photos released by the House Oversight Committee also show Gates with Prince Andrew and with a woman whose face was redacted.
Melinda Gates reacts
Gates’ ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, said the new files brought back painful memories from their marriage. She told NPR that any remaining questions about Epstein are for Bill Gates to answer, not her: “Whatever questions remain there of what – I 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.”
For years, reports have suggested that Gates’ ties to Epstein were a factor in their divorce. The files also show Epstein tried to ease Melinda Gates’ concerns. In January 2017, a redacted messenger wrote that Gates wanted to talk to Epstein but that Melinda “won’t let him.” Epstein then suggested she meet with Kathy Ruemmler, a former White House counsel, to hear a different perspective on him. Ruemmler later confirmed she never met Bill Gates or spoke to Melinda on his behalf.