Bill Gates Tells US Congress That Jeffrey Epstein Considered Blackmailing Him

Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder and one of the world's most prominent philanthropists, told the US Congress that Jeffrey Epstein had considered blackmailing him, in a revelation that marks the most direct public statement Gates has made about the nature of his dealings with the convicted sex trafficker.

The testimony represents a significant moment in the ongoing congressional effort to map the full extent of Epstein's influence network. Epstein, who died in a federal jail in 2019 in circumstances officially ruled a suicide, was known to have cultivated relationships with some of the world's most powerful figures in business, politics and academia — and investigators have long sought to understand how he used that access.

Gates had previously faced intense public scrutiny over the extent and nature of his meetings with Epstein, particularly after reports emerged that the two had met multiple times even after Epstein's 2008 sex-offender conviction. Gates had previously described those meetings as a mistake.

The revelation that Epstein actively considered using blackmail as leverage against Gates adds a darker layer to what was already a deeply troubling relationship. It also raises questions about how many others in Epstein's orbit may have been subject to similar calculations — and whether those threats were ever acted upon. Congressional investigators are expected to press further on the details of Gates's testimony.