According to a former Gates Foundation employee, Bill Gates was hoping to capitalize on his friendship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein to secure the Nobel Peace Prize.
The former staffer told the DailyBeast that despite the “reputational risks” of associating with Epstein, they were informed it was all in the name of Gates achieving a Nobel Peace Prize award.
“Even back then, people knew this guy [Epstein] wasn’t squeaky clean,” the anonymous staff member said. “He [Gates] thought that Jeffrey would be able to help him, that he would know the right people or some kind of way to massage things, so he could get the Nobel Peace Prize.”
According to Business Insider, Gates started meeting with Epstein in 2011, just three years after the well-connected Epstein was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor. Gates turned a blind eye to the pedophile financier’s reputation, and Melinda Gates reportedly to their meetings.
A spokesperson for Gates denies that he was obsessed with winning the prestigious award and denies he “campaigned” for it in any way.
Epstein committed suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
