Epstein Funded Bill Gates' Reported Ex-Girlfriend for Years
Key Takeaways
- ▶ Jeffrey Epstein financially supported Ann Winblad, Bill Gates' reported ex-girlfriend, for several years, according to Fortune's review of documents.
- ▶ Winblad was widely reported as Gates' girlfriend before his marriage; Gates continued annual vacations with her after marrying Melinda French Gates.
- ▶ Gates met with Epstein multiple times after Epstein's 2008 conviction on state charges of soliciting a minor.
- ▶ Melinda French Gates told CBS in 2021 she met Epstein once and 'wanted nothing to do with him,' calling him 'evil personified.'
Jeffrey Epstein financially supported Ann Winblad, the businesswoman widely reported to have been Bill Gates’ girlfriend before his marriage, for several years according to documents reviewed by Fortune.1
The financial relationship between Epstein and Winblad occurred while Gates maintained both business and personal connections to Epstein. Gates’ relationship with Epstein became public in 2019 and was reportedly a factor in his divorce from Melinda French Gates.1
Financial Support Spanning Years
Epstein provided financial backing to Winblad over a period of years, according to Fortune’s review of documents.1
Winblad is a technology entrepreneur and venture capitalist who has been widely reported in media accounts as Gates’ girlfriend prior to his marriage to Melinda French Gates. The two maintained a relationship that allowed Gates to vacation annually with Winblad even after his marriage, according to previous reporting.1
Fortune characterized the Epstein-Winblad financial relationship as “playing with fire” in its reporting.1
Gates-Epstein Connection
Gates met with Epstein multiple times after Epstein’s 2008 conviction on state charges of soliciting a minor, meetings that Gates later acknowledged and expressed regret about.1
The connection between Epstein and figures in Gates’ personal life has drawn scrutiny since 2019, when the extent of Gates’ meetings with Epstein became public. Melinda French Gates told CBS in 2021 that she met Epstein once and “wanted nothing to do with him,” describing him as “abhorrent” and “evil personified.”1
Gates told The Wall Street Journal in 2019 that he met with Epstein for philanthropic reasons and that “those meetings were a mistake.” He has not publicly commented on Epstein’s financial relationship with Winblad.1
In March 2026, a House panel subpoenaed Gates to testify about his Epstein connections as part of a congressional investigation.1
The financial support from Epstein to someone in Gates’ personal circle occurred during a period when Epstein cultivated relationships with wealthy and influential figures in business, science, and technology. Epstein died in federal custody in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Jeffrey Epstein