Jeffrey 1 : 10.3Relationship with Jeffrey EPSTEIN
Jeffrey 2 : Gates married Melinda French on the Hawaiian Island of Lanai on January 1, 1994.[195] They met in 1987 after Melinda began working at Microsoft.[196] At the time of their marriage, Gates was given permission by Melinda to spend limited time with his ex-girlfriend, businesswoman Ann Winblad.[197] Bill and Melinda have three children: Jennifer, Rory and Phoebe.[198] The family's residence is an earth-sheltered mansion in the side of a hill overlooking Lake Washington in Medina, Washington. In 2009, property taxes on the mansion were reported to be US$1.063 million, on a total assessed value of US$147.5 million.[199] The 66,000-square-foot (6,100 m2) estate has a 60-foot (18 m) swimming pool with an underwater music system, as well as a 2,500-square-foot (230 m2) gym and a 1,000-square-foot (93 m2) dining room.[200] On May 3, 2021, the Gateses announced they had decided to divorce after 27 years of marriage and 34 years as a couple.[201] They said they would keep working together on charitable efforts.[201][202] The Wall Street Journal reported that Melinda had been meeting with divorce attorneys since 2019, citing interviews that suggested Bill's ties with Jeffrey EPSTEIN was at least one of her concerns.[203] The divorce was finalized on August 2, 2021.[204]
Jeffrey 3 : Gates's public image has changed over the years. At first he was perceived as a brilliant but ruthless "robber baron", a "nerd-turned-tycoon".[205] Starting in 2000 with the foundation of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and particularly after he stepped down as head of Microsoft, he turned his attention to philanthropy, spending more than $50 billion on causes like health, poverty, and education. His image morphed from "tyrannical technocrat to saintly savior" to a "huggable billionaire techno-philanthropist", celebrated on magazine covers and sought after for his opinions on major issues like global health and climate change.[205] Still another shift in public opinion came in 2021 with the announcement that he and Melinda were divorcing. Coverage of that proceeding brought out information about romantic pursuits of women who worked for him, a long-term extra-marital affair, and a friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey EPSTEIN.[206] This information and his response to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in some deterioration of his public image, going from "a lovable nerd who was out to save the world" to "a tech supervillain who wants to protect profits over public health."[207]
Jeffrey 4 : Relationship with Jeffrey EPSTEIN
Jeffrey 5 : A 2019 New York Times article reported that Gates's relationship with financier Jeffrey EPSTEIN started in 2011, just a few years after EPSTEIN was convicted for procuring a child for prostitution, and continued for some years, including a visit to EPSTEIN's house with his wife in the fall of 2013, despite her declared discomfort.[248] Gates said in 2011 about EPSTEIN: "His lifestyle is very different and kind of intriguing although it would not work for me".[206]
Jeffrey 6 : The depth of the friendship between Gates and EPSTEIN is unclear though Gates generally commented that "I met him. I didn't have any business relationship or friendship with him".[249] However, Gates visited EPSTEIN "many times, despite [EPSTEIN's] past".[248] It was reported that EPSTEIN and Gates "discussed the Gates Foundation and philanthropy".[248] However, in an interview in 2019 Gates completely denied any connection between EPSTEIN and the Gates Foundation or his philanthropy generally.[249] In August 2021, Gates said the reason he had meetings with EPSTEIN was because Gates hoped EPSTEIN could provide money for philanthropic work, though nothing came of the idea. Gates added, "It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there."[239] Gates came under further scrutiny after it was revealed that he had travelled on EPSTEIN's private jet, though further claims about Gates travelling to Little St James proved unsubstantiated.[250]
Jeffrey 7 : It has also been reported that EPSTEIN and Gates met with Nobel Committee chair Thorbjørn Jagland at his residence in Strasbourg, France in March 2013 to discuss the Nobel Prize.[251] Also in attendance were representatives of the International Peace Institute which has received millions in grants from the Gates Foundation, including a $2.5 million "community engagement" grant in October 2013.[252] In 2023, it was reported that EPSTEIN threatened to expose an alleged affair Gates had with a Russian bridge player.[253]
Jeffrey 8 : ^ a b "EPSTEIN meetings a huge mistake, says Bill Gates". BBC.
Jeffrey 9 : ^ a b c Flitter, Emily; Stewart, James B. (October 12, 2019). "Bill Gates Met With Jeffrey EPSTEIN Many Times, Despite His Past". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022.
Jeffrey 10 : ^ a b Martin Pengelly & Rupert Neate (May 10, 2021), "Melinda Gates began divorce moves at time Bill's meetings with Jeffrey EPSTEIN revealed", The Guardian: "Her meeting with divorce lawyers in October 2019 is said to have taken place at roughly the same time as a New York Times article detailed Bill's meetings with EPSTEIN, which included an overnight stay at EPSTEIN's New York mansion."
Jeffrey 11 : ^ Norton, Tom (February 20, 2023). "Fact Check: Did Bill Gates visit EPSTEIN island 37 times?". Newsweek. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
Jeffrey 12 : ^ Tore Gjerstad & Gard Oterholm (October 2, 2020), "Bill Gates and Jeffrey EPSTEIN met with Nobel Committee chair", Dagens Næringsliv Magasinet: "Not only did [Thorbjørn] Jagland meet EPSTEIN, he hosted him at his lavish residence in Strasbourg, France. At the time, Jagland was the sitting chair of the committee, which awards the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize. Also present: a philanthropist [Gates] touted as a possible Prize recipient."
Jeffrey 13 : ^ Safdar, Khadeeja; Glazer, Emily (May 21, 2023). "Jeffrey EPSTEIN Appeared to Threaten Bill Gates Over Microsoft Co-Founder's Affair With Russian Bridge Player". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved May 22, 2023.