Bill Gates dropped a bomb on the pandemic exhausted masses earlier in the week after confirming his divorce from his wife, Melinda Gates. What sparked the decision remains a mystery, but many want to point to the late infamous sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein and his broad slate of famous connections.
Gates and Epstein have crossed paths many times, revealed in a New York Times story from 2019 highlighting the connection with the infamous sex offender. The billionaire Microsoft founder stood out because he started working with Epstein following his conviction for sex crimes. And in the wake of the divorce, a Daily Beast piece by senior reporters Lachlan Cartwright and Kate Briquelet.
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According to The Daily Beast, a meeting between Epstein, Bill Gates and wife Melinda in Sept. 2013 allegedly led to Melinda Gates becoming furious that her husband would maintain a relationship with the sex offender. There is no evidence that Gates was involved in any crimes related to Epstein, but there is plenty to make a person wince in regret such as Gates ride on the infamous “Lolita Express” or agreeing to have a connection to Epstein after his initial convictions.
While it is unknown how much this played into the end of the marriage between Gates and his wife, you’d have to assume it didn’t help. But as Melanie Walker, a former Epstein connection and later Gates Foundation senior program officer, told The New York Times that Gates was actually torn on the relationship.
“Bill Gates regrets ever meeting with Epstein and recognizes it was an error in judgment to do so,” Arnold told the outlet. “Gates recognizes that entertaining Epstein’s ideas related to philanthropy gave Epstein an undeserved platform that was at odds with Gates’s personal values and the values of his foundation.”
At the end of the day, money and philanthropy exist to feed into each other. The Global Health Investment Fund that sparked the connection never came to be due to Epstein’s crimes. While it is certainly possible that this sort of issue could affect a relationship, there are no details or statements pointing to this as a cause. It also can’t be denied that the couple have worked hard to do good around the world, supporting claims that this was an unfortunate business relationship.
