Despite the death of sex offender organizer Jeffrey Epstein years ago, the fallout from his scandal continues to ripple through elite circles in Europe and America.
On June 10, Eastern Time, former world’s richest man and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates concluded his closed-door testimony before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
As he arrived at the Capitol, Gates told the media: “I’m glad to be here voluntarily to testify and assist the committee’s work. I hope my testimony contributes to their important efforts and brings justice to the victims.”
During the session, lawmakers primarily questioned Gates about the details of his interactions with Epstein, financial transactions, and whether he was aware of Epstein’s criminal activities. Gates denied any involvement in Epstein’s illegal acts, reiterated his regret over knowing him, and once again apologized to Gates Foundation employees for his association with Epstein.
Epstein was convicted in 2008 for soliciting minors for prostitution. Gates said he was introduced to Epstein in 2011, who claimed he could raise billions of dollars for Gates’ global health initiatives. Over the next three years, they had several dinners together, but it turned out Epstein was a fraud who never delivered on his fundraising promises.
Gates published his testimony on his personal website . He emphasized that during their interactions, Epstein hinted at knowledge of his extramarital affairs and used that to pressure him into re-establishing contact.
Sources say Epstein hoped to leverage his association with Gates to access high-level figures in U.S. politics and business, building his own power network.
On August 2, 2021, Gates and Melinda French Gates officially divorced, ending a 27-year marriage. Gates later revealed that divorcing his ex-wife was one of the biggest regrets of his life and publicly admitted to infidelity in the marriage, causing her pain.
On February 24, a Gates Foundation spokesperson stated in a written statement that Gates took responsibility for his interactions with Epstein during a meeting with foundation employees. At that time, Gates also acknowledged having extramarital affairs during the marriage, involving two Russian women, but stressed these relationships did not involve victims of the Epstein case.
The House committee formally requested Gates’ testimony on March 3. Former Democratic President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, had already testified earlier this year.
In August 2019, Epstein died suddenly in a New York prison. Since then, questions about whether he was killed and who his major clients were have become focal points. Several high-profile figures entangled in the Epstein case have already faced public downfall.
Prince Andrew, brother of King Charles III, has been accused of having sexual relations with underage victims at Epstein’s private mansion multiple times. He was sued in 2021 but reached a settlement. One victim, Virginia Giuffre, died by suicide in Australia last year. This association has become an ongoing scandal miring the British royal family.
Norwegian economist and World Economic Forum President Børge Brende unexpectedly resigned in February, with the trigger being his two-year close association with Epstein. Brende said he was unaware of Epstein’s past and criminal activities before meeting him in 2018 and regretted not investigating his background more thoroughly.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Pritzker Architecture Prize, originally scheduled to be announced in the first week of March, was postponed, breaking a 40-year tradition. The reason? The Epstein scandal: Thomas Pritzker, a key member of the Pritzker family and chairman of the Hyatt Foundation, was a frequent visitor to Epstein’s private villa.
Additionally, due to ties to the Epstein case, former Treasury Secretary and Harvard University President Lawrence Summers will resign from his Harvard faculty position after this academic year.
Summers reportedly frequently sought Epstein’s advice on pursuing a foreign colleague at Harvard. At the time, he was in his second marriage with another Harvard colleague. This incident exposed issues of power imbalance within U.S. academic circles. However, public documents show no evidence of illegal behavior by Summers.
Summers was born into a family of distinguished academics and has been named one of the world’s most influential thinkers by magazines like TIME, Foreign Policy, and The Economist. His uncles and cousins are Nobel laureates in economics. He served as Treasury Secretary from 1999 to 2001 under Clinton, was president of Harvard from 2001 to 2006, and has taught there since then.
