2008 – Jeffrey Epstein is convicted of prostitution and solicitation of a minor, creating the criminal backdrop that later intensifies scrutiny of his contacts with Bill Gates. [2]

2010 – 2014 – Emails and calendar entries schedule multiple Gates‑Epstein interactions, including a December 2010 dinner, April and October 2011 meetings, a February 2013 lunch, an August 2012 Norway trip, and continued calls and Skype sessions through 2014, all after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. [2]

July 18, 2013 – Draft emails from Epstein’s own account allege he helped Bill Gates obtain medication to hide a sexually transmitted infection and describe sexual encounters with Russian women; the drafts remain unsent and unverified. [2][5][1]

2019 – Bill Gates publicly acknowledges an affair with a Microsoft employee, adding personal strain to his marriage amid ongoing concerns about his Epstein ties. [1]

2021 – Bill and Melinda French Gates finalize their divorce after 27 years of marriage, with media reports linking Epstein‑related tensions to the marital breakdown. [1]

2022 – Melinda French Gates appears in a CBS interview with Gayle King, condemning Epstein and Bill Gates’ meetings; clips of the interview go viral on social media in later years. [4]

Nov 2025 – The House Oversight Committee releases photos showing Bill Gates standing beside Prince Andrew and next to a redacted woman, providing visual evidence of his association with high‑profile figures linked to Epstein. [2]

Jan 31, 2026 – The U.S. Department of Justice publishes over three million pages of Epstein‑related material, including 180,000 images and 2,000 videos; Bill Gates’s spokesperson calls the claim that Gates contracted an STD “absolutely absurd and completely false.” [5]

Feb 4, 2026 – In an NPR “Wild Card” preview, Melinda French Gates says she feels “unbelievable sadness” over the new documents, while Bill Gates tells Australia’s 9News he regrets every minute spent with Epstein and apologizes for the meetings. [3][7]

Feb 5, 2026 – The Justice Department releases a new tranche of Epstein files, adding further emails and calendar entries that document Gates’s post‑2008 meetings with Epstein; Melinda French Gates says the papers revive painful memories from her marriage. [2][1]

Feb 6, 2026 – NPR airs the full interview with Melinda French Gates, offering a broader view of her perspective on the Gates‑Epstein controversy and the impact on survivors. [3]

Feb 19, 2026 – Bill Gates withdraws from delivering the keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, citing the need to keep focus on the summit’s priorities amid the ongoing controversy. [8]

Feb 24, 2026 – At a Gates Foundation staff briefing, Bill Gates admits personal liaisons with two Russian women—a bridge player and a nuclear physicist—prompted by the unsent Epstein email, while reaffirming he never visited Epstein’s island or engaged in illegal activity. [8]

Feb 25, 2026 – During a Gates Foundation town‑hall, Bill Gates takes responsibility for his interactions with Epstein, reiterates his regret, and answers staff questions; Melinda French Gates reiterates that he must answer to those matters. [6]

Future (post‑Feb 2026) – Congressional inquiries anticipate further releases of the remaining undisclosed pages identified by the Justice Department, as lawmakers question why roughly half of the material remains withheld. [5]