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Are there firsthand accounts or witness statements describing Bill Gates' visits to Epstein's properties, including dates and attendees?
Executive summary
Available reporting shows multiple contemporaneous documents and firsthand references tying Bill Gates to meetings with Jeffrey Epstein — notably appointment logs showing a tentative breakfast on Dec. 5, 2014, a photograph of Gates at Epstein’s New York home in 2011, and texts and messages in recently released troves that describe outreach and communications around 2017–2018 [1] [2] [3]. At the same time, several fact-checks and reporting say there is no evidence Gates visited Epstein’s Caribbean island and Gates has publicly called meeting Epstein “a mistake” [4] [5] [6] [7].
1. Documentary traces: schedules, appointment logs, and photograph evidence
House-released schedules and excerpts from Epstein’s calendars include entries naming Bill Gates and even a “TBD TENTATIVE BREAKFAST Party w/Bill Gates” for Dec. 5, 2014, listing invited attendees like Ron Baron and Josh Harris [1]. Separately, The New York Times obtained a 2011 photograph showing Gates at Epstein’s New York mansion alongside Jes Staley and Gates’ then-adviser Boris Nikolic, which news outlets have repeatedly cited as direct visual evidence that Gates visited Epstein’s Manhattan home [2] [8].
2. Firsthand communications: texts and messages in the released trove
Reporting from CBS and other outlets highlights text-message threads and other communications in the tranche released by Congress that document Epstein’s attempts to court Gates (and his advisers), including 2017 exchanges where Epstein positions himself as an intermediary and messages between Epstein and a Gates adviser about connecting people and proposals [3] [9]. These are contemporaneous documents from Epstein’s files rather than retrospective third‑party recollections [3].
3. Witness statements cited in reporting: who has spoken and what they say
Melinda French Gates has publicly described meeting Epstein once and said those ties contributed to marital strain; reporting notes she was “unsettled” by her meeting in 2013 and that she opposed further contact [10] [11]. Bill Gates himself has said in interviews that he “had dinners with him” and later called spending time with Epstein “a mistake” [7] [12]. These are direct statements from principal actors reported in the press [7] [12] [10].
4. What sources explicitly dispute or refute
Multiple fact-checking outlets and Reuters reporting have explicitly debunked claims that Gates visited Epstein’s Little Saint James (the Caribbean “island”) many times — finding no flight-log evidence and noting Gates likely flew on Epstein’s plane once to Florida but not to the island; Reuters and Newsweek declare repeated-island-visit claims unfounded [5] [4] [6]. PolitiFact likewise found “no evidence” Gates visited the island repeatedly [13].
5. Gaps, limits, and unanswered questions in the public record
Available sources document meetings, calendar entries, photos, texts, and public statements, but they do not provide a comprehensive contemporaneous roster of every room, guest list, date-by-date attendee list for every meeting. Reporting notes appointment logs and messages naming meetings and some invitees (e.g., Ron Baron, Josh Harris for Dec. 5, 2014), but full witness statements that enumerate all attendees at each encounter are not present in the cited coverage [1] [3]. Available sources do not mention a verified list establishing Gates’ presence at Epstein’s Caribbean island [4] [5].
6. Competing narratives and likely motives behind different lines of reporting
Mainstream outlets (CBS, New York Times, PBS, Business Insider) emphasize contemporaneous documents and direct quotes to establish that Gates met Epstein multiple times while seeking philanthropy connections [3] [2] [1]. Fact-checkers and Reuters push back on viral claims about island trips, framing those as misinformation unsupported by flight logs [5] [6]. Tabloid or sensational outlets amplify leaked texts and dramatic language [14] [15]; their business model favors attention-grabbing framings, which can accentuate scandal beyond what primary-source documentation supports [14].
7. Bottom line for the original query
Yes — there are firsthand documentary materials and public statements documenting meetings, appointment-calendar entries, a 2011 photograph at Epstein’s Manhattan home, and text-message exchanges that reference Gates’ contacts with Epstein [1] [2] [3]. However, authoritative fact-checking and flight-log reporting find no evidence supporting claims that Gates visited Epstein’s Caribbean island repeatedly; comprehensive, date-by-date signed witness statements listing all attendees for each meeting are not present in the cited reporting [4] [5] [13].