Bill and Melinda French Gates face new scrutiny over Jeffrey Epstein ties

Microsoft co‑founder Bill Gates testified before the U.S. House Oversight Committee, saying he met Jeffrey Epstein in 2011, that their contacts ended in December 2014 and that the financier tried to blackmail him with personal details, which Gates called a “grave error of judgment.” Days later, his ex‑wife Melinda French Gates gave a candid interview to The Guardian, describing a “visceral reaction” and nightmares after her single encounter with Epstein, calling him “evil” and condemning the American justice system for failing to stop him. Both stressed that the justice system “didn’t do its job” and that the episode highlights a broader reckoning over the handling of sexual‑abuse cases. The interview and testimony followed the release of court‑filed documents that revealed a more detailed philanthropic coordination between Gates and Epstein than previously known.