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 the course of four years, Epstein made a concerted effort to lure him and his family members to the Caribbean destination, emails show.The correspondence reflects the enduring friendship between Epstein and Gates’ chief scientific advisor, Boris Nikolic, which extended beyond business and philanthropy to include the exchange of nude photographs, observations about the attractiveness of women and a discussion of Gates’ preferences and prospects with them. The emails, part of a trove of Justice Department records, indicate that Nikolic, who worked at Gates’ investment firm, served as Gates’ agent, often coordinating meetings between the Microsoft Corp. co-founder and Epstein, and sometimes discussing the possibility of Epstein connecting Gates to his associates.
Gates has worked to downplay his relationship with convicted sex offenders since their relationships came to light in 2019. Nikolic did not respond to requests for comment. In 2019, Nikolic was listed as standby executor of Epstein’s will, which he said at the time he was “shocked” to be part of. Multiple email chains between 2011 and 2014 show Epstein’s attempts to lure Gates to his private island via Nikolic.
In December 2014, Epstein wrote directly to Gates.“Many interesting people visit the island during the holidays. Of course you and your family are welcome. Eva, Cathy Rumler. Women with whom Melinda might feel comfortable.” Rummler recently said she was resigning from her position as a senior lawyer at Goldman Sachs Group due to her ties to Epstein.Bill Gates said he never interacted with any of Epstein’s victims. A company spokesperson said: “Gates was not aware of the correspondence between Nikolic and Epstein.”
Publicly, it appears that Gates and Nikolic no longer have a relationship.The documents provide new insight into the types of conversations that took place in Gates’ circle more than a decade ago. The emails detail sometimes frank conversations Nikolic and Epstein had on a daily basis, ranging from Nikolic requesting “nude or semi-nude” photos of “hot girls” on the island to massage conversations with a “happy ending.”In an email from October 2011, in which Epstein told Nikolic to “wish Bill a happy birthday,” Nikolic responded, saying: “I sent him your email and told him we were sending him a big cake with ribbons in it,” perhaps misspelling the word “strippers.” It is not known to what extent Gates was aware of the talks. A foundation employee said in an email to Epstein that Gates avoided direct contact with him because of Melinda Gates’ discomfort.
