Politics

Bill Gates Told Congress That Epstein Tried to Blackmail Him

By Mike Harper · June 11, 2026

Bill Gates sat for a transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday and said something he has never said publicly before: Jeffrey Epstein tried to use what he knew about Gates’s personal life against him.

Gates told congressional investigators that after he cut ties with Epstein, the convicted sex offender attempted to leverage knowledge of Gates’s extramarital affairs to pressure him into continuing their association. Gates described meeting Epstein as “a grave error in judgment” and said the relationship ended when it became clear Epstein was attempting to manipulate him.

“He tried to use information about my personal life — specifically about mistakes in my marriage — to maintain a connection I had already decided to end.”

Gates has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein multiple times between 2011 and 2014, years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution. Gates has consistently said the meetings were about philanthropy — specifically Epstein’s connections to potential donors for the Gates Foundation’s global health initiatives. He has denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s criminal conduct.

Wednesday’s testimony added a dimension Gates had not previously disclosed publicly. The blackmail attempt — using Gates’s infidelities as pressure — reframes the relationship from one of poor judgment to one in which Gates was actively targeted by a man who built an empire on leverage and access.

Gates and his wife Melinda French Gates divorced in 2021. At the time, reporting from the Wall Street Journal indicated that Melinda was troubled by Bill’s association with Epstein. Gates acknowledged Wednesday that the Epstein relationship was a factor in the marriage’s deterioration.

The House Oversight Committee has been conducting a series of transcribed interviews with individuals connected to Epstein as part of a broader investigation into how Epstein maintained his network of influence despite his criminal record. Previous witnesses have included former employees, associates, and financial intermediaries. Gates is the highest-profile figure to testify so far.

He was not subpoenaed. He appeared voluntarily.