Bill Gates told Congress Epstein planned to blackmail him over affairs

Microsoft founder Bill Gates revealed to U.S. Congress that the late financier Jeffrey Epstein had attempted to "blackmail" him over his extramarital affairs. Gates provided this testimony behind closed doors to the House Oversight Committee on June 10, according to a transcript released Tuesday.

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I was not blackmailed, but you know, as you look at these emails, you know, it looks like Mr. Epstein’s brainstorming was going in that direction.

Gates described Epstein's actions as "veiled" threats, suggesting the disgraced financier considered exploiting his knowledge of Gates's affairs to keep him involved. "I was not blackmailed, but you know, as you look at these emails, you know, it looks like Mr. Epstein’s brainstorming was going in that direction," Gates testified, referencing documents from the Epstein case. He clarified that while Epstein never sent him direct blackmail messages, draft emails indicated an intent to do so.

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He never sent me anything that I would call blackmail.

In his opening remarks, Gates, 70, stated he had never been aware of Epstein's criminal behavior and had "never victimized anyone." He acknowledged his ties to Epstein were a "major mistake" and admitted to extramarital affairs with two Russian women, while denying any involvement in Epstein's activities. Gates first met Epstein in 2011, years after Epstein pleaded guilty to prostitution charges involving minors, and admitted he knew of Epstein's legal troubles but was also told Epstein could raise significant funds for global health initiatives.

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He was sort of rehearsing how either he or he, coaching someone else, might choose to blackmail me, but none of those messages were ever sent to me.

Gates also noted that he knew Epstein's conviction was "of a sexual nature" but did not delve into the specifics, stating, "although I probably should have." The testimony comes as documents from the Epstein case continue to reveal connections between the financier and various public figures.

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I knew that it (the Epstein conviction) was of a sexual nature, but, no, I don’t think I knew, dug into the specifics, although I probably should have.