An external review commissioned by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has documented approximately 30 meetings between Jeffrey Epstein and foundation leadership and staff between 2011 and 2014, a period when internal warnings about the association were repeatedly sounded.
The investigation, conducted by the law firm WilmerHale and released Tuesday, found that foundation employees raised concerns about connecting with Epstein on multiple occasions due to his prior conviction for sex-related offenses. Those warnings reached senior leadership, including Bill Gates himself.
The foundation initiated the probe in March after the Department of Justice released millions of documents related to Epstein's crimes. The files contained numerous references to Gates, photographs of him, and records of his meetings with the financier, triggering public scrutiny of their relationship.
Epstein was introduced to Gates and other foundation staff in 2011 through an advisor with dual roles in the foundation and Gates's personal office. Gates later acknowledged he accepted the introduction without applying sufficient scrutiny, stating he had been aware of Epstein's legal troubles but did not fully understand the scope of his crimes. Their interactions ended in December 2014.
The review encompassed more than 50 interviews with current and former foundation personnel, including Gates, and examined extensive written materials. WilmerHale identified meetings involving ten foundation leaders and staff members, including some held at the foundation's campus and others at Epstein's Manhattan residence.
The 30 meetings focused on potential donor-advised fund structures, donor engagement, the foundation's polio strategy, and introductions to a nonprofit organization. The investigation found no evidence that meetings involved illegal conduct or were unrelated to philanthropic purposes.
Critically, WilmerHale found no evidence that Gates or the foundation had knowledge of or participated in Epstein's ongoing sex trafficking operations or criminal activities. The report also stated there was no evidence Epstein used the foundation's name to advance his crimes or that he received payments from the foundation.
Gates has repeatedly stated he never witnessed or received any indication of Epstein's criminal conduct. During a February town-hall meeting with foundation employees, Gates apologized for the association. In June testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, he reiterated that he had no awareness of Epstein's ongoing crimes.
The Gates Foundation announced Tuesday that its governing board had approved several new safeguards based on the report's findings. These include establishing a centralized vetting process for brokers, donor advisers, co-funders and others who facilitate funding partnerships with the foundation, as well as creating an escalation process for organizational risks on projects.
Gates said in a statement that completing the review was important for providing clarity to partners, employees and grantees and for strengthening oversight policies. He emphasized the foundation's commitment to ensuring trust and transparency.
Author James Rodriguez: "The report essentially clears Gates and the foundation of wrongdoing while documenting a relationship nobody wanted to admit happened, and that should have been stopped much sooner despite the warnings that were already there."
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