When Bill Gates Befriended Jeffrey Epstein in the Hopes of Winning a Nobel Peace Prize

Tech billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates had keen ambitions of winning the Nobel Peace Prize. The Microsoft co-founder was so driven by the idea that he befriended well-connected convict Jeffrey Epstein to help him network for the prize in 2011. The duo went on to meet on several occasions including at least three times at Epstein’s palatial Manhattan townhouse. "It was a business connection and had to do with fundraising," a former Gates Foundation employee told The Daily Beast. "There was a legitimate philanthropic side to this, and they had spoken about the Nobel Prize and what they could do to work towards that." 

“We were aware of things that were potential reputational risks for the foundation and the co-chairs, Bill and Melinda,” the former employee stated. “Even back then, people knew this guy wasn’t squeaky clean,” referring to Epstein. “He [Gates] thought that Jeffrey would be able to help him, that he would know the right people, or some kind of way to massage things, so he could get the Nobel Peace Prize, which is what Bill wants more than anything else in the world,” the source said. “I think he was ultimately disappointed it didn’t work out." The former employee's assertion that Gates believed Epstein was his pass to the coveted award also bolstered a report from DN Magasinet published in 2020, which featured a meeting in 2013 between Gates, Epstein, and Thorbjørn Jagland, the chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee at the time.

However, Gates's spokesperson refuted the claims saying, “While a Nobel Prize would certainly be a great honor, it is false to state that Bill Gates was ‘obsessed’ with the honor, set it as a goal, or campaigned for it in any way,” the spokesperson said. “If Epstein had a plan or motivation to insert himself into any processes related to any awards or honors on behalf of Gates, neither Gates nor anyone he works with was aware of his intentions and they would have rejected any offers for assistance.” After Epstein's arrest in 2019 and his subsequent death in a prison cell due to apparent suicide, Gates denied the fact that he ever knew the sex offender. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal in September he said, “I didn’t have any business relationship or friendship with him.”

As per People, Gates's close ties with the late convict were one of the reasons for his divorce from Melinda, "She was totally opposed to what she considered shady dealings and some other issues he wanted to pursue in the business area," a source said. "She was not afraid to speak up about it either." The source added, "Melinda didn't want him having anything to do with Epstein." As per NYTimes, even though Melinda had voiced her displeasure with her husband seeing the sexual offender, Gates persisted in their contact. When in October 2019 the Gates and Epstein connection became widely known, Melinda was not thrilled, she then filed for a divorce. 

As per People, the couple had long tried to keep a united front in the hope of winning a Nobel Peace Prize, but all that shattered after the divorce. "They were really interested in trying to win a Nobel Prize," according to the source. "So one thing that was part of this is, if it gets worse, then it ends that. It seems as if that was on the agenda, and that's for both of them."