From Affairs To Epstein — All The Troubling Allegations Against Bill Gates So Far
Things keep getting worse for one of the world's richest men
Getty Images In the wake of Melinda and Bill Gates’ announcement that they are getting divorced, ending their 27-year marriage, more allegations are coming to light about Gates and what might have caused the divorce.
The Microsoft founder is often touted as one the world’s most down-to-earth billionaires, but if these allegations are to be believed then Gates’s philanthropic public persona may have hidden a darker personal past.
From allegations of an affair, workplace misconduct, mishandling of sexual harassment claims and an unusual relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, scrutiny is mounting against Gates in the most unflattering of ways.
The allegations threaten the image the businessman has cultivated and possibly explains his divorce from his wife of almost three decades.
Here's a list of all the allegations against Bill Gates so far, coming on the heels of his divorce announcement:
1. Gates allegedly had an affair with a Microsoft employee before his divorce.
Gates allegedly engaged in a romantic relationship with a Microsoft engineer which led him to resign from the company’s board of directors in 2020.
The Wall Street Journal cites "people familiar with the matter," but does not name the employee in question.
After she claimed to have had a sexual relationship with the Microsoft founder, the company’s board hired a law firm to investigate the relationship.
The Journal claims that some board members felt it was no longer appropriate for Gates to remain on the board of directors at the software company. They claim Gates left the company before the investigation was completed.
However, a spokesperson for Gates said, "There was an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably. Bill's decision to transition off the board was in no way related to this matter. In fact, he had expressed an interest in spending more time on his philanthropy starting several years earlier."
A Microsoft spokesperson later confirmed that the company had launched an investigation after concerns were raised in 2019 about the alleged relationship, which was initiated in 2000.
2. Gates was accused of inappropriate conduct at work.
Separate allegations against the software mogul claim that Gates “developed a reputation for questionable conduct in work-related settings.”
It was alleged that Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on multiple occasions.
Multiple sources claimed that Gates engaged in behavior that they deemed inappropriate for a person with his power and influence.
Others, however, say Gates did give women space to reject his advances and did not pressure women to accept his flirtations for the sake of their careers.
The sources claim these incidences took place throughout Gates’s marriage, which possibly explains why his relationship with Melinda has dissolved.
Gates met Melinda while she was working as a product manager, an aspect of their relationship that is often played up in the media. But new claims suggest she was not the only employee he set his sights on.
“If this makes you uncomfortable, pretend it never happened,” Gates allegedly wrote in an email to an employee he had watched give a presentation before immediately asking her out for dinner.
Again, a spokesperson for Gates denied the claims of mistreatment and described the rumors around his divorce as “disappointing.”
“The rumors and speculation surrounding Gates's divorce are becoming increasingly absurd,” they added. “And it's unfortunate that people who have little to no knowledge of the situation are being characterized as 'sources.'"
4. Gates failed to fire his money manager after a sexual harassment allegation.
It was also claimed that Melinda was dissatisfied with her husband’s handling of a sexual harassment claim against his longtime money manager. The previously undisclosed claim occurred in 2018.
Melinda had urged Gates to launch an external investigation into the claims but Gates opted to settle the matter confidentially. Michael Larson, the money manager, still remains in the position.
5. Gates had a questionable relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Then there is Gates’s dealings with Jeffrey Epstein, who he is believed to have interacted with on a number of occasions. Gates first met Epstein in 2011, 3 years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Melinda is thought to have been uncomfortable with Gates’s interactions with the sex offender. In the same month that an article was released about Gates visiting Epstein’s infamous mansion, Melinda is believed to have met with divorce lawyers for the first time.
While Gates has denied having any close friendship with Epstein, recent allegations from undisclosed sources say that the pair were close.
“Going to Jeffrey’s was a respite from his marriage. It was a way of getting away from Melinda,” sources claim, alleging that Epstein gave Gates advice on how to escape his “toxic” marriage. Gates, in turn, is said to have encouraged Epstein to rehabilitate his public image. The public explanation about these meetings is that Gates was pursuing Epstein for philanthropic reasons and access to his network.
A representative for Gates said, “[This] characterization of his meetings with Epstein and others about philanthropy is inaccurate, including who participated. Similarly, any claim that Gates spoke of his marriage or Melinda in a disparaging manner is false.”
Alice Kelly is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York. Catch her covering all things social justice, news, and entertainment. Keep up with her Twitter for more.