Bill Gates got STD
Executive summary
Newly released Jeffrey Epstein files contain emails in which Epstein claims Bill Gates contracted a sexually transmitted infection after sexual encounters with “Russian girls” and asked Epstein to supply antibiotics to conceal the infection from his then-wife, Melinda; those claims appear in multiple media reports derived from the DOJ document dump [1] [2] [3]. The allegations are unverified, originate in emails Epstein wrote to himself or draft letters tied to a Gates aide’s resignation, and Gates’ spokesperson has called the claims “absolutely absurd and completely false,” noting the documents reflect Epstein’s attempt to entrap and defame [1] [2] [4].
1. What the newly released documents actually say
The passages being cited across outlets come from a July 18, 2013 email that Epstein appears to have sent to himself which includes the line urging deletion of “emails regarding your std, your request that I provide you antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda, and the description of your penis,” language reproduced in reporting by the Daily Mail, Yahoo, Hindustan Times and others after the Department of Justice released a tranche of Epstein files [1] [2] [3].
2. Source provenance and veracity: why these claims remain allegations
All outlets reporting the claim emphasize the source is Epstein’s own rambling notes or draft letters in a mass DOJ release rather than independent evidence; reporters uniformly flag that the material is unverified and that the emails are part of Epstein’s files rather than a corroborated investigative finding [2] [4]. Multiple publications repeat that the assertions stem from documents in which Epstein appears to be drafting accusations and venting about a falling-out with Gates, which weakens their evidentiary weight [1] [3].
3. Gates’ response and contextual pushback
Gates’ spokesperson publicly denied the specific allegations reported from the files, calling them “absolutely absurd and completely false” and framing the documents as demonstrating Epstein’s frustration and attempts to entrap or defame rather than proof of wrongdoing [1]. Reporting also notes that Gates has publicly expressed regret over his prior association with Epstein but has not been accused of any crime in relation to these new document excerpts [2] [4].
4. Motive and context in Epstein’s communications
Several pieces of reporting place the emails in a broader pattern whereby Epstein sought to leverage relationships and, at times, attempted to intimidate or extort wealthy acquaintances—coverage citing earlier reporting that Epstein tried to blackmail Gates over a relationship and that Epstein misrepresented his role to third parties [5]. That background is relevant because it shows Epstein both had motive and history of manipulating narratives about powerful people [5].
5. How media choices shape the impression of culpability
Tabloid and mainstream outlets vary in tone: some headlines present the allegation as a near-fact while others stress unverified status and Epstein’s unreliable provenance, meaning readers receive a spectrum from sensationalism to caution depending on source [1] [4] [3]. The reporting landscape suggests an implicit agenda in parts of the press to dramatize lurid details from the Epstein files for clicks, while other outlets emphasize legal and evidentiary restraint [6] [7].
6. Bottom line and limits of available reporting
Based on the files released and the current reporting, there is an allegation in Epstein’s own writings that Bill Gates contracted an STD and sought antibiotics to conceal it, but that claim remains unverified, derives from Epstein-authored notes or draft letters, and has been denied by Gates’ spokesperson; there is no reporting in these sources of a law-enforcement finding or criminal charge substantiating the claim [1] [2] [4] [5]. The documents merit scrutiny but do not, in themselves, establish fact beyond Epstein’s assertions.