Melinda French Gates, the ex-wife of billionaire Bill Gates, has publicly addressed her deep unease about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein in recent revelations.
Her strong words highlight a rift that contributed to their 2021 divorce.
The remarks, featured in a book excerpt published Wednesday by Page Six, reveal Gates’ long-standing disapproval of her former husband’s association with the disgraced financier.
In her book, Gates wrote of her 2019 troubles: “That October, things had reached a fever pitch when The New York Times published a deeply disturbing article that raised serious questions about Bill’s conduct – questions that suggested he had betrayed not only our marriage but also my values.”
The revelation is not entirely new — Gates has previously criticized her ex-husband’s Epstein links.
However, her use of “betrayed” and “disturbing” marks a notable escalation in her rhetoric.
As reported by The New York Times in 2019, Bill Gates met Epstein multiple times starting in 2011, including at his New York townhouse, despite Epstein’s conviction for sex crimes. Melinda’s discomfort grew as she learned of these encounters.
The couple finalized their divorce in August 2021 after 27 years of marriage, a process initiated with their announcement in May 2021, per the New York Post.
Gate’s memoir, titled “The Next Day” and released Tuesday, aims to proffer advice for people dealing with times of great transition or upheaval.
Bill Gates has acknowledged meeting Epstein as “foolish,” claiming the meetings were about philanthropy, per Page Six. He has denied any deeper relationship, but Melinda’s words strongly suggest otherwise.
The extent of the Gates-Epstein connection has always remained unclear.
But Melinda Gates’ strong language raises questions about what she might have uncovered during their marriage.
Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, had a network of powerful associates.
Gates’ link to him has long been a point of contention.
And that murky link is something, apparently, that even his daughter was aware of.
In an interview with CNN, Melinda Gates was asked by the network’s Abby Phillip how her daughter felt about her father betraying her mother’s “values.”
“She understood,” Gates told Phillip.
Gates added: “She knew what had happened. She had enough information about what happened, that she understood I needed to move along.”
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