Gordon Rayner, Verity Bowman and Nick Gutteridge
Bill Gates caught a sexually transmitted disease after sleeping with “Russian girls”, Jeffrey Epstein claimed in files released by the US Justice Department.
Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, also claimed the Microsoft founder asked for antibiotics he could “surreptitiously give” to his then-wife, Melinda, from whom he is now divorced.
In a separate email, Epstein told Peter Mandelson he had “monstrous fun” with Gates in Seattle.
Three million pages of documents released by the Trump administration also contain new photographs of Epstein with Mr Gates, who has not yet commented on the claims.
The files also reveal that Epstein offered Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor dinner with a 26-year-old Russian girl, as well as a claim that Epstein gave Lord Mandelson’s husband £10,000 for an osteopathy course.
Seven years after his death, Epstein continues to cast a long shadow over those who were in his orbit – and Gates, once the world’s richest man, is among them.
On July 18 2013, Epstein sent a memo to himself including a number of allegations about Gates.
It said: “To add insult to the injury you them [sic] implore me to please delete the emails regarding your std, your request that I provide you antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda and the description of your penis.”
Epstein sent himself another email at 1.03am the same morning, announcing a resignation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Epstein never worked for the foundation, so it is believed he was writing the email in someone else’s voice.
Gates was given an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2005, in recognition of his services to charity. He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, but is not known as Sir, a title reserved only for British citizens.
It is likely there will now be calls for the honour to be revoked, though Whitehall sources would not be drawn on whether No 10 would back such a move.
A spokesman for Gates said, “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.”
Fresh questions for Mandelson
Other files raise fresh questions about the relationship between Epstein and Lord Mandelson, who was sacked as the British ambassador to Washington last year over previous revelations about his links to a man he called his “best pal”.
Lord Mandelson referred to Epstein as “a good friend and totally trustworthy” in another newly released message.
In a separate July 2011 email, Lord Mandelson asked Epstein “what u doing?” Epstein replied: “Spent the day with Gates, in Seattle. Having monstrous fun.”
Meanwhile, Mountbatten-Windsor will face fresh scrutiny over his own relationship with the convicted sex abuser, whose friendship led to him being stripped of his titles last year.
The files show that Epstein introduced him to a 26-year-old Russian woman in 2010, after his conviction for soliciting prostitution.
In emails to a contact listed as “The Duke”, Epstein wrote: “I have a friend who i think you might enjoy having dinner with, her name is irina she will be london 20-24 [sic].”
In response, the former Duke of York appeared to reply: “Of course. I am in Geneva until the morning of 22nd but would be delighted to see her. Will she be bringing a message from you? Please give her my contact details to get in touch.” It was signed “HRH The Duke of York KG”.
Epstein later clarified the woman was “26, Russian, clevere [sic] beautiful, trustworthy and yes she has your email”.
Other emails between Mountbatten-Windsor and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for child trafficking, were also published on Friday.
The disgraced British socialite sent an email to an address linked to Mountbatten-Windsor with her condolences after the death of his grandmother in 2002.
The email, sent on March 31, 2002, and addressed to “The Invisible Man”, refers to him as “sweet pea” and says of the late Queen Mother: “She was wonderful, and I am happy that I managed to meet her and speak with her.”
The following day, she received a reply thanking her and signed “A xxx”.
Todd Blanche, the deputy US attorney-general, said the material published included more than 2000 videos and 180,000 images, though not all were taken by Epstein or those close to him, and they included “large quantities of commercial pornography”.
The Trump administration was required by law to release all the material it holds on Epstein, who was jailed in 2009 after admitting soliciting prostitution, by December 19 last year. It had only released a fraction of the files by the deadline. The remainder of the material is believed to have now been published.
Epstein’s wide network of rich and powerful friends also included Donald Trump, who Epstein had claimed “knew about the girls”. However, Blanche insisted Trump had been exonerated by the full release of the files.
He said: “In none of these communications, even when doing his best to disparage President Trump, did Epstein suggest President Trump had done anything criminal or had any inappropriate contact with any of his victims.”
The Telegraph, London
