Bill Gates was one of the figures thrown into the scandal surrounding the release of over three million files pertaining to the criminal investigations against Jeffrey Epstein on January 30.
The billionaire Microsoft co-founder, 70, was allegedly named in a series of emails claimed to be meant for Boris Nikolic, an advisor to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. An image of the tech entrepreneur is also in the files.
One of the emails in the newly released files alleges on behalf of Epstein that Bill caught an STI from "Russian girls." Epstein was arrested on charges of sex trafficking of minors in 2019, but was found dead of an apparent suicide a month later while in custody.
"To add insult to the injury you then subsequently with tears in your eyes, implore me to please delete the emails regarding your std, your request that I provide you antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda, and the description of your penis," the email reads, referring to Bill's now ex-wife Melinda French Gates.
Over the weekend, however, the Microsoft lead and philanthropist has maintained a steady public presence. On both Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1, he was photographed in Melbourne at the Australian Open, joined by his girlfriend Paula Hurd.
He was at the Open in his box with Paula to watch Carlos Alcaraz of Spain beat Novak Djokovic of Serbia to claim his very first Australian Open title, thereby completing his career Grand Slam and making him the youngest male player to do so at 22 years old.
On Friday, the day before his appearances at the Open, a spokesperson for Bill released a statement categorically denying the claims made in the emails.
"These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false," it read per People. "The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein's frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame."
One of the emails allegedly from Boris reads: "In my role as his right hand man I have been asked and wrongly acquiesced into participating in things that have ranged from morally inappropriate, to the ethically unsound and have been repeatedly asked to do things that get near and potentially over the line into the illegal."
"From helping Bill to get drugs, in order to deal with consequences of sex with Russian girls, to facilitating his illicit trysts, with married women, to being asked to provide adderall for bridge tournaments, as I am a medical doctor, but have no prescriptions writing ability."
The email also claims that marital troubles for Bill and Melinda, who divorced in 2021, were prevalent as far back as 2013. Melinda cited his involvement with Epstein as a reason for their split. "I have been caught up in a severe marital dispute between Melinda and Bill," the email reads. "I have the greatest respect for my friend of seven years, and wish them both well."