Bill Gates. The name that once symbolised global philanthropy now sits at the centre of a deposition that threatens to unravel the carefully curated image of the world’s richest charity foundation. In a closed-door session last week in Seattle, Gates was questioned for over six hours about his interactions with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The transcript, obtained by this newsroom, exposes a web of meetings, flights, and financial dealings that directly implicate several high-profile UK charities in a network of influence peddling and undisclosed donations. Sources confirm that Gates admitted to multiple meetings with Epstein between 2011 and 2013, including one at Epstein’s New York townhouse where the discussion turned to ‘leveraging relationships’ for charitable tax loopholes. The deposition reveals that Epstein introduced Gates to trustees of at least three UK-based aid organisations, including one that specialises in African development.
Internal memos show that after these introductions, Gates’ foundation made significant donations totalling nearly $2m to these charities, none of which were publicly declared as being influenced by Epstein. The timing is damning. Gates claimed in the deposition that he was ‘unaware’ of Epstein’s criminal history at the time, but documents show that Gates’ own security team had flagged Epstein as a ‘high-risk individual’ months before their first meeting.
The UK charities, now under pressure from the Charity Commission, have issued statements denying any ‘impropriety’, but the documents paint a different picture. One email from a charity director reads: ‘Epstein is a controversial figure but his network is invaluable for our fundraising targets. Bill is the key.
’ The unspoken truth is that charitable status has long been a shield for the wealthy to launder reputations and escape scrutiny. This deposition lifts that veil. The uncomfortable reality for UK charities is that they have become conduits for the rich to buy legitimacy, and Epstein was simply the facilitator.
The full transcript is sealed for now, but sources say it contains references to offshore accounts and a ‘Guaranteed Investment Vehicle’ that experts suspect was used to move dirty money through charitable channels. The US Justice Department is already investigating Epstein’s network, and UK authorities are now demanding answers. Gates himself faces no criminal charges, but his reputation is bleeding.
The question is: how many UK charities were witting or unwitting nodes in this global web? The answer will leave a stain on the entire sector.
