USA Epstein and Gates: ex-wife happy to be "away from the dirt"
The revelations from the Epstein files are catching up with Melinda French Gates once again.
04.02.2026, 11:17
SDA
In an interview with US broadcaster NPR, the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates spoke of "very, very painful times" in her marriage - and at the same time expressed relief at having distance from the complex today: "I'm very happy to be away from all that dirt," she said. The couple's marriage ended in 2021 after 27 years.
The reports about the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were difficult for her to bear. "No girl should ever be put in a situation like the one caused by Epstein and the various people around him," said French Gates. The details caused her "immeasurable sadness".
The new debate was triggered by files recently published by the US Department of Justice. They include a draft email from 2013, which was stored in Epstein's account and is apparently addressed to Bill Gates.
The draft discusses tensions between Gates and his then wife as well as failed business relationships. It also contains unsubstantiated allegations of a personal nature - including the suggestion that Gates asked Epstein to delete emails relating to a possible sexually transmitted disease and intimate details. There is no evidence of this.
The concern that a public separation could damage the joint foundation is also mentioned. The couple's subsequent divorce actually dragged on for several years. A spokesperson for Gates rejected the allegations in the "New York Times" as "absurd and completely false". The documents merely showed Epstein's frustration at the end of the contact, it said.
Melinda French Gates draws the line
French Gates emphasized that she had drawn a line for herself and was now at an "unexpectedly beautiful point" in her life. Unanswered questions about her contacts at the time concern others. "These questions are for these people and even for my ex-husband. They have to give answers to these questions, not me."
