WSJ: Epstein Apparently Blackmails Gates

 

WSJ goes there on Epstein and Bill Gates. This is their headline: “Jeffrey Epstein Appeared to Threaten Bill Gates Over Microsoft Co-Founder’s Affair With Russian Bridge Player.” Not exactly subtle.

Excerpts:

Jeffrey Epstein discovered that Bill Gates had an affair with a Russian bridge player and later appeared to use his knowledge to threaten one of the world’s richest men, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Microsoft co-founder met the woman around 2010, when she was in her 20s. Epstein met her in 2013 and later paid for her to attend software coding school. In 2017, Epstein emailed Gates and asked to be reimbursed for the cost of the course, according to the people familiar with the matter.

The email came after the convicted sex offender had struggled and failed to convince Gates to participate in a multibillion-dollar charitable fund that Epstein tried to establish with JPMorgan Chase. The implication behind the message, according to people who have viewed it, was that Epstein could reveal the affair if Gates didn’t keep up an association between the two men.

[…]

In 2017, Epstein contacted Gates about the Russian bridge player, years after the relationship had ended, according to people familiar with the matter. He sent an email to Gates asking to be reimbursed for the costs of Antonova’s coding school, the people said.

The sum was immaterial for the two men and the tone of the message was that Epstein knew about the affair and could expose it, the people said.

This story is larger than it sounds at first because this is exactly what the CW (conspiratorial wisdom) has been describing as Epstein’s MO, and the reason that so little has been disclosed about the life and death, clients, and methods of a global child trafficker. Epstein was no idiot and protected himself by generating a world-spanning who’s-who of interconnected clients to blackmail.

Things did not suddenly grow tense between now-divorced Bill and Melinda Gates:

Of course, when you have Epstein/Gates money, you can purchase coverage like this.

Despite a headline of “Bill and Melinda Gates divorce after 27 years of marriage,” this puff piece focuses on their philanthropy and rather obsessively on the empowerment of women and a lecture about how to conduct a supposed equal-partnership marriage. Not mentioned at all is anything relating to the divorce, such as the tidbits hinted at in the opening paragraph to the NYT article pictured above.

The simplest explanation for the large Epstein story is that he successfully blackmailed enough powerful people that there remains an active cover-up by those selfsame powerful people and their associates to keep the real story suppressed.

Recall that Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted on numerous counts of something like trafficking minors for sexual abuse, which definitely requires clients, yet those clients have never been named.

To be clear, this particular case (the bridge-playing Russian girl) is not one of Epstein providing the girl to Gates. Instead, this is something that Epstein found out about later, and capitalized upon. This may be how it escaped the “cone of silence” surrounding Epstein’s clients. Gates may have been a child-sex client of Epstein’s later, and at any rate, flew on the Lolita Express or visited child-sex-slavery island dozens of times.

The WSJ article shows Epstein raising the topic of a pitifully small amount of money between two of the world’s most moneyed and powerful men.  Why would he ask to be reimbursed for pocket change?  To communicate that he knows there is something important enough for Bill Gates in that story that Bill Gates should do something for Epstein. Epstein was trying to use Gates’ name to secure some funding thing from JPMorgan — it fell through.

The real value here is the demonstration of exactly what an Epstein dunning letter / blackmail threat would look like. Of course, there’s no explicit quid pro quo in the mail. These people are evil, not stupid.

I was able to use this archival view to see the WSJ article (h/t PDW).

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  1. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    “Creepy” is having a recurring hair-trigger about age of consent, and being willing to derail a conversation about Jeffrey Epstein to argue the “point”.

    • #31
  2. Barfly Member
    Barfly
    @Barfly

    BDB:

    I was able to use this archival view to see the WSJ article:

    https://archive.is/Eb79S

    I always appreciate when posters do that. Provide a good link I mean.

    Not to mention the sideshow:

    BDB (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Fritz (View Comment):

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    BDB (View Comment):

    ANd more context, including clarification that she was 20 when the affair took place. Again, this was not Epstein providing for Gates (not the right age range, amirite?) — that is Epstein finding out about Gate’s affair and then trying to capitalize on that.

    It was not illegal just really really creepy

    Gates was born in Oct. 1955, so in 2010 he’d have been 54-55 years old. Applying the “creepiness formula” for guys of 0ne-half his age, plus 7 years, would set his youngest non-creepy partner at 34-35 years of age.

    She was 20? Yup -> creepy.

    I wasn’t aware that “half plus 7 years” was one of the Commandments.

    Someone just made that up, and they could have made it up some other way and some people would still think it means something.

    May be best to stick with “I know creepy when I see it.” Like this.

    More like “I know what I think is creepy when I see it.” Which is just a meaningless tautology.

    That’s why I didn’t say that.

    Actually you did say that, whether you realize it or not.

    I see you are in one of your pedantic moods today. Practice on someone else.

    Sometimes it’s necessary to be pedantic when someone else is being oblivious.

    We are not doing another episode of the kedavis show. Flagged.

    9.2 from the Colorado judge.

    • #32
  3. DMak Member
    DMak
    @DMak

    Has anyone ever looked into how Epstein amassed his fortune? The few articles I’ve seen merely glossed over that and referred to him as a financier. Perhaps the majority of his wealth came from blackmail after all.

    • #33
  4. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    w00t!

    • #34
  5. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    DMak (View Comment):

    Has anyone ever looked into how Epstein amassed his fortune? The few articles I’ve seen merely glossed over that and referred to him as a financier. Perhaps the majority of his wealth came from blackmail after all.

    Maybe he was a community organizer, those people make tons of money. Somehow. 

    • #35
  6. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    TBA (View Comment):

    DMak (View Comment):

    Has anyone ever looked into how Epstein amassed his fortune? The few articles I’ve seen merely glossed over that and referred to him as a financier. Perhaps the majority of his wealth came from blackmail after all.

    Maybe he was a community organizer, those people make tons of money. Somehow.

    Or at least they make it disappear somehow, like Mrs Bill de Blasio.

    • #36
  7. Misthiocracy has never Member
    Misthiocracy has never
    @Misthiocracy

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Fritz (View Comment):

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    BDB (View Comment):

    ANd more context, including clarification that she was 20 when the affair took place. Again, this was not Epstein providing for Gates (not the right age range, amirite?) — that is Epstein finding out about Gate’s affair and then trying to capitalize on that.

    It was not illegal just really really creepy

    Gates was born in Oct. 1955, so in 2010 he’d have been 54-55 years old. Applying the “creepiness formula” for guys of 0ne-half his age, plus 7 years, would set his youngest non-creepy partner at 34-35 years of age.

    She was 20? Yup -> creepy.

    I wasn’t aware that “half plus 7 years” was one of the Commandments.

    Someone just made that up, and they could have made it up some other way and some people would still think it means something.

    May be best to stick with “I know creepy when I see it.” Like this.

    More like “I know what I think is creepy when I see it.” Which is just a meaningless tautology.

    That’s why I didn’t say that.

    Actually you did say that, whether you realize it or not.

    I see you are in one of your pedantic moods today. Practice on someone else.

    Sometimes it’s necessary to be pedantic when someone else is being oblivious.

    That is not a correct use of the word “necessary”. 

    ;-)

    • #37
  8. Misthiocracy has never Member
    Misthiocracy has never
    @Misthiocracy

    According to Brave, Merriam-Webster defines “pedantic” thus:

    Noah Webster was a hack.

    OED or GTFO!

    ;-)

    • #38
  9. Misthiocracy has never Member
    Misthiocracy has never
    @Misthiocracy

    kedavis (View Comment)

    If creepiness is objective, then by all means feel free to define the meaning of creepiness, in all situations, for all people.

    Otherwise it’s not objective.

    What if it’s objectively subjective?

    • #39
  10. Misthiocracy has never Member
    Misthiocracy has never
    @Misthiocracy

    DMak (View Comment):

    Has anyone ever looked into how Epstein amassed his fortune? The few articles I’ve seen merely glossed over that and referred to him as a financier. Perhaps the majority of his wealth came from blackmail after all.

    It is widely speculated that he was in the employ of foreign and domestic intelligence services. However, there is little-to-no direct evidence to back up the hypothesis.

    • #40
  11. Misthiocracy has never Member
    Misthiocracy has never
    @Misthiocracy

    TBA (View Comment):

    DMak (View Comment):

    Has anyone ever looked into how Epstein amassed his fortune? The few articles I’ve seen merely glossed over that and referred to him as a financier. Perhaps the majority of his wealth came from blackmail after all.

    Maybe he was a community organizer, those people make tons of money. Somehow.

    Read Mau-Mauing The Flak Catchers for a proto-explainer on the phenomenon.

    • #41
  12. Misthiocracy has never Member
    Misthiocracy has never
    @Misthiocracy

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Misthiocracy has never (View Comment):

    Who knew that bridge tournaments were such meat markets?

    International bridge tournaments, anyway.

    That’s conjuring in my mind a mighty death match between the Ambassador Bridge and the Peace Bridge.

    • #42
  13. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    Big thanks to ink-stained wretches.  You know who you are.

    • #43
  14. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    BDB: The implication behind the message, according to people who have viewed it, was that Epstein could reveal the affair if Gates didn’t keep up an association between the two men.

    Was it signed, “Epstein’s mother?”  That could be the clincher.

    • #44
  15. DonG (CAGW is a Scam) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Scam)
    @DonG

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Gates was born in Oct. 1955, so in 2010 he’d have been 54-55 years old. Applying the “creepiness formula” for guys of 0ne-half his age, plus 7 years, would set his youngest non-creepy partner at 34-35 years of age.

    She was 20? Yup -> creepy.

    I wasn’t aware that “half plus 7 years” was one of the Commandments.

    Half + 7 has been a thing for a long time.  

    • #45
  16. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    DonG (CAGW is a Scam) (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Gates was born in Oct. 1955, so in 2010 he’d have been 54-55 years old. Applying the “creepiness formula” for guys of 0ne-half his age, plus 7 years, would set his youngest non-creepy partner at 34-35 years of age.

    She was 20? Yup -> creepy.

    I wasn’t aware that “half plus 7 years” was one of the Commandments.

    Half + 7 has been a thing for a long time.

    But it is just something that someone made up from nothing, or pulled from their @$$ or whatever.  Why not “half plus or minus 5” or any other combination?  Sounds like someone had their opinion already, and then tried to come up with a “rule” to justify it.  But it’s still just their opinion.

    And even if you want to say Gates is/was “creepy” for having a 20-year-old “girlfriend” that’s still not “pedophilia” the way some people claim.  And which they likely use that same “rule” to justify.

    • #46
  17. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    kedavis (View Comment):

    DonG (CAGW is a Scam) (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Gates was born in Oct. 1955, so in 2010 he’d have been 54-55 years old. Applying the “creepiness formula” for guys of 0ne-half his age, plus 7 years, would set his youngest non-creepy partner at 34-35 years of age.

    She was 20? Yup -> creepy.

    I wasn’t aware that “half plus 7 years” was one of the Commandments.

    Half + 7 has been a thing for a long time.

    But it is just something that someone made up from nothing, or pulled from their @ $$ or whatever. Why not “half plus or minus 5” or any other combination? Sounds like someone had their opinion already, and then tried to come up with a “rule” to justify it. But it’s still just their opinion.

    And even if you want to say Gates is/was “creepy” for having a 20-year-old “girlfriend” that’s still not “pedophilia” the way some people claim. And which they likely use that same “rule” to justify.

    Here, I made you all a thread to continue that discussion:

    https://ricochet.com/1449472/official-kedavis-creepy-age-of-consent-thread/

    I am nothing if not considerate.

    • #47
  18. Barfly Member
    Barfly
    @Barfly

    DMak (View Comment):

    Has anyone ever looked into how Epstein amassed his fortune? The few articles I’ve seen merely glossed over that and referred to him as a financier. Perhaps the majority of his wealth came from blackmail after all.

    To make money as a financier, one must first be wealthy.

    • #48
  19. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Barfly (View Comment):

    DMak (View Comment):

    Has anyone ever looked into how Epstein amassed his fortune? The few articles I’ve seen merely glossed over that and referred to him as a financier. Perhaps the majority of his wealth came from blackmail after all.

    To make money as a financier, one must first be wealthy.

    He probably made a chunk of money at Bear Stearns, and then probably was able to get people referred to getting money from Bear Stearns and got some of that kicked back to himself…

    • #49
  20. Charlotte Member
    Charlotte
    @Charlotte

    BDB (View Comment):

    “Creepy” is having a recurring hair-trigger about age of consent, and being willing to derail a conversation about Jeffrey Epstein to argue the “point”.

    😂😂😂

    • #50
  21. DonG (CAGW is a Scam) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Scam)
    @DonG

    kedavis (View Comment):
    He probably made a chunk of money at Bear Stearns, and then probably was able to get people referred to getting money from Bear Stearns and got some of that kicked back to himself…

    I heard he got fired from Bear Stearns before they went belly up.  Giselle was the connection to the money and the intelligence community and did the recruiting for the honey pot.  Jeffery was just the pretty boy that hosted the parties.

    • #51
  22. Fritz Coolidge
    Fritz
    @Fritz

    DonG (CAGW is a Scam) (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    He probably made a chunk of money at Bear Stearns, and then probably was able to get people referred to getting money from Bear Stearns and got some of that kicked back to himself…

    I heard he got fired from Bear Stearns before they went belly up. Giselle was the connection to the money and the intelligence community and did the recruiting for the honey pot. Jeffery was just the pretty boy that hosted the parties.

    Epstein always seemed to have had connections to the higher echelons of society. IIRC, he started out as a teacher at a tony Manhattan prep school, having been hired by its then Headmaster, future USAG Bill Barr’s father. That’s pretty connected.

    • #52
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