Bill Gates Testifies to Congress That Epstein Tried to Blackmail Him Over Extramarital Affairs

Since Congress began releasing the Justice Department's Epstein files and calling witnesses, the inquiry has steadily moved up the list of high-profile names — and on June 10, 2026, it reached one of the wealthiest people on earth.

What Gates Said

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates appeared before the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door session on Capitol Hill. According to reporting by Xinhua via China Daily Asia and sourced to AP pool coverage, Gates submitted a prepared statement that drew a sharp line: his personal affairs and his interactions with Epstein were separate matters.

"Based on what has been released in the files, Epstein was working to use information about my infidelities — in addition to many lies that he layered on top — to pressure me to re-engage with him," Gates told the committee.

Gates made the blackmail allegation against a dead man under oath, before Congress, on the record.

Gates also stated: "I never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct. I never went to his island, his ranch, or his Florida home."

What the Files Show

The Wall Street Journal reported that more than 1,000 communications tied to Gates, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, or Gates Foundation employees were identified within the roughly 3 million pages of Epstein files released by the Justice Department. Though the volume of correspondence is significant, it is not evidence of wrongdoing by itself. Gates acknowledged first meeting Epstein in 2011, three years after Epstein had already pleaded guilty to a Florida state charge of soliciting a minor for prostitution. The two met multiple times through 2014.

Epstein was federally arrested in July 2019 and was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell the following month, officially ruled a suicide. No criminal charges were ever filed against Gates in connection with Epstein. No investigation targeting Gates has been announced by DOJ as of June 10, 2026.

The Bigger Investigation

This isn't just about Gates. The House Oversight Committee has already questioned former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnic as part of the same probe. The committee's stated focus is DOJ's handling — or mishandling — of cases connected to Epstein.

Meanwhile, according to a New York Times excerpt published by Political Wire from the forthcoming book Regime Change by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, Trump's own senior advisers convened multiple Situation Room meetings as the Epstein files created what the book describes as a "freakout" inside the White House. The authors report the president's team was scrambling to manage the political fallout around Trump himself.

Both parties have exposure here. This is not a one-sided story, no matter which cable channel you're watching.

The Strongest Defense

Gates's timeline is verifiable: he met Epstein in 2011, years after Epstein's original conviction, during a period when Epstein was still welcomed in elite circles across politics, finance, academia, and media. His claim that Epstein used deception and manipulation to maintain relationships — including through blackmail — is entirely consistent with what prosecutors described Epstein doing to other high-profile individuals. The files themselves, per the Journal, show communication volume but have not, in available reporting, produced evidence that Gates participated in or enabled Epstein's crimes. Allegations are not verdicts.

What Mainstream Coverage Is Getting Wrong

Many outlets are treating the 1,000 communications figure as inherently damning without explaining what those communications actually contain. Volume is not evidence. A foundation with billions in global health commitments generating correspondence with someone in Epstein's network is at least plausible on its face.

At the same time, some right-leaning coverage has focused almost exclusively on the Clinton testimony while underplaying the White House Situation Room story from Haberman and Swan. Some left-leaning coverage has done the opposite — playing up the Trump "freakout" angle while downplaying that Democrats with Epstein connections are also being questioned under oath.

Congress is methodically working through a list of extremely powerful people from both parties, and almost none of them come out of this looking clean.

What It Means

Gates's testimony is significant for three reasons. One: it's the first on-record, sworn account from him about the blackmail dynamic. Two: it shifts the framing from "Gates knew Epstein" to "Epstein had leverage over Gates" — a meaningful legal and reputational distinction. Three: it keeps the spotlight on a congressional investigation that is touching figures at the very top of both political parties and American corporate life.

No charges have been filed against Gates. The committee's work is ongoing as of June 10, 2026.