Bill Gates' foundation hands more than half a BILLION dollars to Seattle research center as Microsoft tycoon's Jeffrey Epstein links come under continued scrutiny

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 22:21, 12 August 2026 | Updated: 22:22, 12 August 2026 Bill Gates' foundation donated more than half a billion dollars to a research center in Seattle as the former Microsoft boss continues to face intense scrutiny over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.  A historic $540.2 million grant was gifted to the University of Washington's Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) by the Gates Foundation on Tuesday, the school said.  The 10-year grant will help the independent research organization strengthen access to 'freely available, scientifically rigorous health evidence' that is used by leaders, governments, and researchers to improve the country and world, IHME Director and Professor Dr. Christopher Murray said.  The money will specifically help support the expansion of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study that will provide important health data 'for thousands of new areas,' Murray stated.  Because of the grant, GBD will grow from about 952 locations to nearly 5,000, according to Murray. Although Gates stepped down as the CEO of the foundation he co-founded with his ex-wife Melinda French Gates, he still serves as the sole chair of the massive private charitable institution.  But the foundation, and practically everything the tycoon has done recently, has been under a microscope after the depths of his relationship with Epstein became increasingly apparent following the release of bombshell Department of Justice (DOJ) files that showed Gates allegedly slept with Russian girls, contracted a sexually transmitted disease, and then planned to slip antibiotics to his then-wife, Melinda.  The astonishing claims, which were released on January 30 of this year, were part of emails that Epstein wrote and sent to himself on July 18, 2013. The Gates Foundation, a massive charity that Bill Gates is the sole chair of, gave a $540.2 million grant to the University of Washington's Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) on Tuesday The grant will help the independent research organization strengthen access to 'freely available, scientifically rigorous health evidence' that is used by leaders, governments, and researchers to improve the country and world, IHME Director and Professor Dr. Christopher Murray said After they went public, not only was Gates' personal life in shambles, but his professional world started to crumble too.  The billionaire, 70, held a private town hall meeting with employees of the Gates Foundation soon after the alleged revelations took center stage.  During the closed-door gathering, which was internally referred to as 'BG Unplugged,' Gates confessed to two affairs that he had with the Russian women mentioned in Epstein's correspondence, The Wall Street Journal previously reported. Gates told employees that his relationship with Epstein was a mistake and that the controversy is the 'opposite of the values of the foundation,' the outlet reported. The more than 1,000 emails that were released in the DOJ files caused such a stir in the Gates Foundation that several people were left crying in the audience during another town hall, according to WSJ. Mark Suzman, who took over as the foundation's CEO in 2020, also held a meeting in February, just days after the files were released. Gates was not in attendance, the publication reported.  During the discussion, multiple employees asked about Gates' ties to Epstein, and one asked Suzman to help her understand what they should say to their foundation partners following the claims, attendees and others with knowledge of the meeting told the outlet.  After the allegations came out, the Gates Foundation quickly started to see a domino effect of nonprofit executives, world leaders, and even Microsoft pulling out of events involving Gates. The hefty donation comes at a time when nearly everything Gates does is being watched closley amid his close ties to Jeffrey Epstein Despite his internal team trying to keep their boss's reputation in good standing, they faced pushback that led to them accepting that Gates' credibility has been scarred because of his ties to the pedophile. The donation news comes approximately two months after Gates appeared before Congress and answered deeply personal questions, including whether he ever had a sexually transmitted disease.  He admitted that he had a relationship with Alice Jacobs Nesselrodt, a medical entrepreneur with a doctorate from Harvard Medical School. Melinda stayed with him despite admitting twice to her that he had affairs with multiple women. The first confession took place some time before 2010, according to Gates.  The hearing before the House Oversight Committee was to find out about Gates's relationship with Epstein, which is seen as one of the key reasons Melinda divorced him in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. Gates, 70, remained friends with Epstein for years even though the late pedophile was a registered sex offender at the time.  After Epstein's suicide, Gates has repeatedly apologized for their friendship and told Congress during the June 10 appearance that he wished they had never met.   Before entering the interview, Gates told reporters that he hoped that his 'testimony is helpful to the important work of the committee to find justice for the victims.'  The Daily Mail contacted the Gates Foundation for comment.