Gates Foundation Launches Probe Into Epstein Links Ahead of Bill Gates’ Congressional Testimony

(SeaPRwire) –   The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has initiated an external review of its past connections to Jeffrey Epstein, CEO Mark Suzman informed employees in a memo this week. This comes as the foundation’s co-founder, Bill Gates, gets ready to give testimony to Congress in June regarding his association with the deceased financier and convicted sex offender.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the memo. According to a statement the foundation provided to the Journal, the examination began in March with input from Gates and the foundation’s independent board, and a progress report is anticipated this summer. The memo states the review will also assess the foundation’s procedures for evaluating new philanthropic alliances. Suzman noted that a session at a recent London board meeting addressed how the Justice Department’s Epstein documents affect the foundation.

This internal review follows a March investigation by into how Epstein worked for almost ten years to infiltrate Gates’s close associates. A Gates spokesperson told in March that Gates “regrets meeting with Epstein” and “never witnessed or engaged in any illicit or illegal behavior.” The Gates Foundation did not provide an immediate comment to for this report.

Drawing from the over 3 million pages of Department of Justice records, ‘s reporting revealed Epstein dedicated a decade to constructing a network of go-betweens to gain proximity to Gates. This circle included Gates’s “right hand” and chief science adviser Boris Nikolic; former Gates Foundation senior adviser Melanie Walker; and Mila Antonova, who was identified as a former romantic partner of Gates. Epstein assisted Antonova, a Russian national, in obtaining a visa, provided her housing in his New York apartments, paid for her coding courses, and sent her money transfers. discovered that Epstein subsequently leveraged these acts of assistance to attempt to pressure Gates, writing to Gates’s deputy, Larry Cohen, in April 2018 that he had housed Antonova and that Gates was “playing with fire.”

Antonova’s lawyer informed in March that she was unaware of Epstein’s attempts to pressure Gates and that she “naively accepted” his support, thinking he sincerely wished for her to do well.

Nikolic stated to in March that “Epstein inserted himself as a mediator” in Nikolic’s departure from Gates’s venture fund, “and then used lies to pursue his own agenda.” He said he understood this later and proceeded with his work without Epstein’s participation. DOJ records indicate Nikolic and Epstein were in contact as recently as 2019. Walker, who, like Nikolic, faces no allegations of misconduct, declined to comment on ‘s March story via her legal representatives.

DOJ documents indicated Epstein’s objective was for Gates to take part in a donor-advised fund he had proposed to Gates since at least 2011, where Gates would assist in managing the assets of new billionaires. After this initiative lost momentum in 2014, Epstein increased his communications with Gates and his aides, apparently attempting to coerce the billionaire into backing the fund and reimbursing him for financing Antonova’s education and living expenses.

Gates has described the relationship as a philanthropic “mistake” and has not been accused of any illegal activity. At a foundation town hall earlier this year, he expressed regret for affairs with two Russian women and said he lamented his interactions with Epstein.

Cutbacks at the Gates Foundation

Suzman’s memo this week also outlined a pre-announced reorganization plan that will reduce approximately 500 jobs, equating to 20% of the foundation’s workforce, by 2030, a target set in January. The first 200 roles will be cut by the conclusion of 2027.

Suzman informed staff that a recent London board meeting featured a discussion on the effect of the DOJ files on the foundation’s operations and public standing.

“This is a challenging time for our organization in many ways, but it also highlights the critical importance of taking the tough actions now,” he wrote in the recent memo.

Some of the foundation’s key relationships have been substantially damaged following disclosures about Gates’s ties to Epstein. Melinda French Gates departed the board after her 2021 divorce from Bill Gates, citing his ongoing contact with Epstein as a factor in their split. Warren Buffett, who has contributed approximately $43 billion to the foundation from 2006 to 2024, recently told CNBC he has not spoken to Gates since the Epstein information became public and hinted he might cease future donations. His annual contributions are usually announced in June—the same month Gates is scheduled to testify before Congress.

“I don’t want to be in a position where I know things … to be called as a witness,” Buffett told CNBC in March.