Tech mogul Bill Gates said he never went to Jeffrey Epstein’s island, where some of the late financier’s sex crimes occurred. But over a four-year span, Epstein made a concerted effort to lure him and his family members to the Caribbean destination, emails show.
The correspondence reflects an enduring friendship between Epstein and Gates’ key science adviser, Boris Nikolic, that extended far beyond business and philanthropy to include the exchange of nude photography, notes on the attractiveness of women and discussion of Gates’ preferences and prospects with them.
The emails, part of a trove of justice department records, suggest Nikolic, who worked at Gates’ venture firm, acted as Gates’ proxy, often coordinating meetups between the Microsoft Corp co-founder and Epstein, and occasionally discussing Epstein’s potential to connect Gates with companions.
Gates has worked to downplay his relationship with the convicted sex offender since their ties came to light in 2019. Nikolicdidn’t respond to requests for comment. In 2019, Nikolic was listed as backup executor of Epstein’s will — which he said at the time that he was “shocked” to be a part of. Multiple email threads between 2011 and 2014 demonstrate Epstein’s attempts to lure Gates onto his private island via Nikolic.
In Dec 2014, Epstein wrote directly to Gates.
“Many interesting people visiting the island over holidays. of course you and your family are welcome . eva , kathy ruemmler. Women that Melinda might take comfort with.” Ruemmler recently said she will resign her position as Goldman Sachs Group’s top lawyer over her ties to Epstein.
Bill Gates said he never interacted with any of Epstein’s victims. “Gates was not aware of the correspondence between Nikolic and Epstein,” a spokesperson said. Publicly, Gates and Nikolic no longer appear to have a relationship.
The documents provide fresh insight into the kinds of talks happening in Gates’ circle over a decade ago. Emails detail the explicit conversations Nikolic and Epstein had at times daily, ranging from Nicolic requesting “nude or semi nude” photos of “hot girls” at the island to talks of massages with a “happy ending”.
In an email from Oct 2011 where Epstein tells Nikolic to “Wish bill a happy birthday,” Nikolic responds with “I forwarded him your email and told him that we are sending him a big cake with stripers inside,” possibly misspelling the word “strippers.” It’s unknown to what extent Gates knew about the conversations. A foundation employee said in an email to Epstein that Gates avoided directly communicating with him due to Melinda Gates’ discomfort.
