Convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein met with Microsoft founder Bill Gates more than once after serving time in jail for soliciting an underage prostitute — to discuss ways to increase philanthropic spending, according to a new report.
At least one meeting between the pair occurred in New York in 2013, when Gates was still Microsoft’s chairman, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told CNBC Wednesday. It was unclear whether the two men spoke on the phone.
The discussions occurred years after the millionaire money manager spent 13 months behind bars on a charge of soliciting an underage prostitute in Florida, according to the report. He was sentenced in Palm Beach County in 2008.
Although the sources told CNBC they did not know exactly what Gates and Epstein discussed, the meetings focused on “growing philanthropy” on a broader scale — and other philanthropic leaders were present, they said.
After the New York meeting, Gates flew on one of Epstein’s planes to meet with his family in Palm Beach, the sources told the network. He did not, however, fly on the so-called “Lolita Express,” which Epstein allegedly used to transport underage girls to his home in the Virgin Islands, according to the report.
Gates’ spokeswoman did not deny that the multibillionaire met with Epstein — but noted that they did not have an official working relationship.
“Epstein never provided tax, estate or services of any kind to Bill Gates,” the representative told CNBC.
A Microsoft spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from the network.
Epstein used to tell associates that he met with Gates and served as an informal adviser, those who knew the money manager told the outlet.
“He said he did, but I have no idea,” Epstein’s former attorney Alan Dershowitz told CNBC.
Epstein “was advising” Gates, but “not in an official way,” Dershowitz told the outlet.
Gates never committed to helping Epstein with his own nonprofit organizations, according to the report. Ultimately, the Microsoft founder — who has a net worth of more than $100 billion, according to Forbes — stopped communicating with him.
Gates resigned from his post as Microsoft’s CEO in 2000, and stepped away from a day-to-day role at the company eight years later. He served as the company’s chairman until February 2014, and remains on the board to this day.
Epstein was found dead of an apparent suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center early Saturday. He was being held there without bail since his July arrest on sex trafficking charges.
Epstein suffered multiple broken neck bones, his autopsy revealed.