Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has been named in the latest batch of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, released by the U.S. Justice Department on January 30, 2026. The disclosure is part of a massive release of investigative material made public under federal transparency provisions.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed that the release includes more than six million pages of documents, along with over 2,000 videos and 180,000 images connected to investigations into Epstein and his network. The records reference several high-profile individuals, including President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, and Dr. Peter Attia.
The newly released documents include draft emails found on Epstein’s computer. These emails were addressed to himself with “Bill” listed as the subject. They contain unverified allegations, including claims that Gates contracted a sexually transmitted infection from “Russian girls.” The emails also allege that Gates sought antibiotics to give to his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, without her knowledge.
One email dated July 18, 2013, reads:
“To add insult to the injury you then subsequently, with tears in your eyes, 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.”
Among the released materials are additional draft emails that appear to be written in the voice of Boris Nikolic, a physician and biotech venture capitalist who served as chief adviser for science and technology to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. These drafts describe him participating as a right-hand man in activities characterized as “morally inappropriate” and “ethically unsound.” The alleged activities include helping Gates obtain drugs to deal with the consequences of sex with Russian girls and facilitating illicit trysts with married women.
There is no indication that Nikolic authored, approved, or was aware of these emails. Nikolic resigned as chief adviser for science and technology to the Gates Foundation in 2014. In 2019, a spokesperson stated that he had no business ties with Epstein.
“These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false,” a spokesperson for Gates said in a statement. “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.”
Gates has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein but has described the association as a major mistake. In a January 2025 interview with The Wall Street Journal, he said, “In retrospect, I was foolish to spend any time with him. I thought it would help me with global health philanthropy. In fact, it failed to do that. It was just a huge mistake.”
The controversy surrounding Gates’ association with Epstein has been linked to his 2021 divorce from Melinda French Gates after 27 years of marriage. In a March 2022 interview with CBS Mornings host Gayle King, Melinda said, “As I said, it’s not one thing. It was many things, but I did not like that he’d had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein. I made that clear to him.”
A source told PEOPLE in 2021 that Gates’ meetings with Epstein allegedly caused a rift between the couple.
STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) are illnesses that develop from sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which are caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites spread through sexual contact. Common types of STDs/STIs include bacterial vaginosis (BV), chlamydia, and genital herpes. These infections are transmitted from one person to another through vaginal, oral, or anal sex.1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).” CDC 24/7: Saving Lives, Protecting People. https://www.cdc.gov/sti/about/index.html
(Rh/VK)