A new batch of Epstein files has ignited another online firestorm this week after explosive, unverified claims about Bill Gates surfaced in internal emails allegedly written by Jeffrey Epstein.
On January 30, the Department of Justice published more than three million documents, 180,000 images, and approximately 2,000 videos as part of the government’s largest disclosure related to Epstein.
Highlights
- Unverified draft emails written by Jeffrey Epstein allegec that Bill Gates contracted an STD from Russian girls.
- A Gates spokesperson dismissed the claims as "absolutely absurd."
- The DOJ dump included 2011 and 2014 photographs of Gates with Epstein at private residences and Microsoft HQ.
- While the internet mocked Gates with "antivirus" jokes, some commenters argued the focus on Gates is a calculated distraction from the 1,000+ mentions of Donald Trump in the same files.
Inside the massive dump were draft emails Epstein wrote to himself in July 2013, alleging that Gates had contracted a s*xually transmitted disease from Russian girls and asked for antibiotics for his then-wife, Melinda French Gates.
While their inclusion in the files does not indicate wrongdoing, the claims rapidly spread online.
Epstein’s newly released massive dump accused Bill Gates of hiding an STD during a “severe marital dispute”
Image credits: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
One of the most widely circulated documents was a memo dated July 18, 2013, in which Epstein appeared to draft a resignation statement in the voice of Boris Nikolic, the Gates Foundation's science adviser.
In the message, Epstein claimed he had been pulled into a “severe marital dispute” between Bill and Melinda.
“To add insult to the injury, you then implore me to please delete the emails regarding your STD,” Epstein wrote, further noting the allegation that Gates requested antibiotics “that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda.”
Image credits: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
Image credits: FreedomMemesIRL
“I am concerned that if Melinda decides, as you said, to file for a public divorce, the damage done to the pledge program alone would result in billions of dollars of money no longer being used for social good, as Im [sic] sure that some wives and husbands would feel free to retreat from their commitments.”
In another self-addressed email sent an hour earlier, Epstein claimed he was pressured to help Gates.
“In my role as his right hand, I had been asked on multiple occasions and in hindsight, wrongly acquiesced to participating in things that have ranged from the morally inappropriate to the ethically unsound and had been repeatedly asked to do other things that get near and potentially over the line into the illegal.”
Image credits: Bruce Glikas/Getty Images
Image credits: Kahytie
Image credits: spiciersina
“From helping Bill to get d*ugs, in order to deal with consequences of s*x with russian girls, to facilitating his illicit trysts with married women, to being asked to provide adderall [for] bridge [tournaments].”
“I feel I owe it to my friends and future colleagues to admit a moral failure, to ask forgiveness and to move on with my life,” he wrote.
None of the allegations were supported by evidence in the files, and it remains unclear whether the emails were ever sent or seen by anyone else.
Following the revelation, Gates’s spokesperson denied Epstein’s claims as “completely false”
Image credits: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
A Gates representative swiftly rejected the allegations, per People.
“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,” the statement read.
Image credits: DOJ
The denial echoed Gates’ past remarks about Epstein, whom he has repeatedly described as a “huge mistake” to associate with.
In a 2025 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Gates admitted he believed time spent with Epstein might help philanthropic efforts.
“I thought it would help me with global health philanthropy. In fact, it failed to do that; it was just a huge mistake,” he said.
Epstein’s alleged emails were linked to a blackmail attempt by the offender reported years earlier
Image credits: DOJ
The resurfaced claims closely mirrored Epstein’s attempt to blackmail Gates in 2017 over an alleged relationship with a Russian bridge player.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Epstein threatened to expose the affair after Gates declined to join a charitable fund the former was attempting to launch.
Furthermore, the newly released drafts suggested Epstein remained bitter years earlier, accusing Gates of orchestrating a “cover-up” to protect his public image.
Nikolic, the adviser named in the draft emails, resigned from the Gates Foundation in 2014.
The massive dump also included photos of Gates with Epstein at undisclosed locations
Image credits: CeeHawk
Image credits: WisconsinFix
In addition to emails, the DOJ release consisted of additional photographs of Gates alongside Epstein, including two images where women’s faces were redacted.
One photo was reportedly taken at Epstein’s Upper East Side townhouse in 2011. Another showed the two at Microsoft’s Seattle-area headquarters in March 2014.
Image credits: DOJ
Both encounters occurred years after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution.
While Gates has consistently stated that his meetings with Epstein were limited, professional, and focused on philanthropy, the recent email drafts have left detractors mocking the billionaire.
The internet mocked Gates’ allegations, while others called the revelations a distraction from Trump
Image credits: DOJ
Image credits: telugu_techgirl
As the claims spread, social media reactions were divided; several mocked the Microsoft co-founder while others called the leak a distraction.
“The key takeaway is that the founder of Microsoft Defender Antivirus failed to protect himself from viruses,” one user joked.
Another quipped, “Ironic that Gates, who helped discover a Covid vaccine, couldn’t save himself from catching an STD.”
Others suggested that the focus on Gates was intentional misdirection.
Image credits: DOJ
“The White House is trying to character assassinate Bill Gates as a distraction from Trump’s involvement,” one commenter wrote, while another demanded, “Focus on the President! Don’t get sidetracked.”
These comments pointed to the fact that Donald Trump was mentioned more than 1,000 times across the new dump.
While the Justice Department stressed that the claims against Trump were “unfounded and false,” Trump has previously acknowledged his past friendship with Epstein.
As with many revelations from the Epstein files that continue to unfold, the allegations involving Gates arrived without corroborating evidence.
"It is one big club and they're all evil", wrote one netizen
Image credits: Finance_Bareek
Image credits: AquitaineH43797
Image credits: BigBreezy29
Image credits: brucemartinez
Image credits: basilokpara
Image credits: hangrysucculent
Image credits: amy57935368
Image credits: TAB_TAB_HH
Image credits: leosghost415
Image credits: BrasilianFury
Image credits: squirrelpalooza
Image credits: DrBrianReid
Image credits: internetguy63
Image credits: Orlan1791James