Bill Gates calls divorce with Melinda 'his fault', keeps mum on Jeffrey Epstein ties
Bill Gates was said to be on the verge of tears when he admitted to breaking up his marriage to soon-to-be-ex-wife Melinda French Gates at last week's 'billionaire summer camp,' which also had the likes of Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg in attendance, news outlets revealed on Monday, July 12,
Bill and Melinda Gates had revealed on May 3 that their 27-year marriage has come to an end, leading to massive repercussions not just for the duo's wealth, but also their famous charity The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
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The Microsoft founder allegedly had ties with late billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which was reportedly one of the reasons his wife decided to end the marriage. But during an ‘off the record' question-and-answer session at the Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, where the billionaire philanthropist revealed details about his imminent divorce to Melinda, Quick did not ask questions about the other elephant in the room- Gates' ties with the late pedophile.
'On the verge of tears'
"He fessed up to messing up," an attendee told the New York Post, as reported by the Daily Mail. "He basically referred to the fact that it [the divorce] was his fault." They went on to add: "He did seem a bit emotional about it. He might have been on the verge of tears."
Gates allegedly did not mention an "affair" as the cause for the divorce in a Q&A with CNBC's Becky Quick. However, after his divorce from Melinda Gates, 56, was announced in May, news of his alleged extramarital relationships and questions about the nature of his relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein surfaced.
'Irretrievably broken'
Melinda stated in her divorce papers that the marriage was "irretrievably broken." Following the announcement of the divorce, it was revealed that Gates, who was CEO of Microsoft at the time, had an 'inappropriate' sexual connection with a female employee in 2000, and resigned while the corporate board examined the relationship.
The affair was revealed after a Microsoft employee detailed it in a letter to the board in 2019 - and allegedly requested that Gates' estranged wife see the message. While the inquiry was still ongoing, Gates abruptly resigned from the board of directors in March 2020, and a spokesperson later told media that his decision to leave had nothing to do with the ongoing investigation.
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'A total a*****e'
Bill Gates sought marital counseling from convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein during dozens of visits at his $77 million Manhattan townhouse between 2011 and 2014, considerably more than previously reported, according to The Daily Beast. Gates had allegedly told Epstein his marriage to Melinda was 'toxic', which both men found funny. According to an insider, his excursions to Epstein's 'lair' was an escape from the marriage because the two 'were extremely close.
While still married to Melinda, Gates invited two women who worked at Microsoft and his nonprofit organization out on dates, according to the New York Times. People at last week's event said hearing Gates speak was "very moving." Others in Sun Valley, though, said Gates appeared irritated during his stay, especially when others at the conference approached him in an attempt to start a discussion. "Bill Gates was pretty much a total a*****e," one attendee told the Post.