Bill Gates' image has crumbled.

After decades of building an image as a global philanthropist, Bill Gates is facing the most serious reputational crisis since founding Microsoft.

For years, a dedicated team at Gates Ventures meticulously curated every detail of billionaire Bill Gates' image, from the color of his sweaters to his carbon fiber glasses, even using identical mannequins to try on his outfits on different days of the week. The goal was to create the image of a calm and approachable billionaire.

In 2019, that effort culminated when Gates was ranked the world's most admired man by YouGov.

"This is truly fantastic; it reflects the level of hard work and creativity of the team," Larry Cohen, CEO of Gates Ventures, said in an internal email to celebrate the results, according to the WSJ .

Images of destruction

U.S. Department of Justice files released more than 1,000 emails related to Gates and his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the sex offender who died in prison in 2019. The documents reveal Gates met Epstein at his home multiple times between 2011 and 2014. The two frequently attended events together, participated in negotiations, and were photographed together with the woman.

This directly contradicts what Gates has stated. In 2019, he told reporters that all the meetings he attended were with men.

For many years, Bill Gates has cultivated an image of a friendly billionaire. Photo: Netflix .

During a general meeting with fund staff in February, internally known as BG Unplugged, the Microsoft co-founder admitted to two romantic relationships with Russian women mentioned in Epstein's emails. He also admitted to being photographed with women he described as Epstein's assistants.

"I did nothing illegal. I didn't see anything wrong," he said.

Some people familiar with the matter said that during the divorce proceedings with Melinda French Gates, there were allegations related to more than 20 extramarital affairs. A Gates spokesperson acknowledged that meeting Epstein was "a mistake" and said Gates would cooperate with the House Oversight Committee in early June.

Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation, told staff that he felt "somewhat tainted" by any connection between Epstein and the foundation.

Widespread consequences

The impact of the scandal is extending beyond Bill Gates personally. The Gates Foundation, one of the world's largest philanthropic foundations with $89 billion in assets, has seen a more than 40% increase in "critical news" since the Epstein dossier was released, according to internal media analysis documents.

Bill Gates no longer appears at many important events. Photo: Zuma Press .

Gates was excluded from Microsoft's annual CEO summit. In India, the government asked him not to attend the international AI summit, fearing that news about Epstein would overshadow the agenda.

"To ensure the focus remains on the key priorities of the AI ​​Summit, Mr. Gates will not be giving the opening speech," the Gates Foundation posted on social media.

Gates' nuclear power company, TerraPower, is also under scrutiny. One of the women Gates admitted to having a romantic relationship with previously worked at TerraPower. LinkedIn profiles show she worked there from 2010-2012 and appeared in a 2011 article with a photo of her alongside Gates. TerraPower declined to comment.

Bill Gates is being abandoned.

The most symbolic blow came from Warren Buffett, a longtime friend and former largest donor to the Gates Foundation. In an interview with CNBC in March, Buffett said he hadn't spoken to Gates since the Epstein documents were released and was waiting to see more information before deciding whether to stop funding the foundation.

The relationship with Jeffrey Epstein caused Bill Gates' image to crumble. Photo: Fast Company .

The Microsoft co-founder did not attend Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting in early May. A few weeks later, he hosted the annual Giving Pledge meeting in California, an organization he co-founded with Buffett and his ex-wife, French Gates. The other two co-founders were absent.

Gates is preparing for his congressional hearing on June 10th. His team hired lawyer John Moran, a former Justice Department official, and successfully delayed the questioning for several weeks. At the same time, the team reached an agreement to keep Bill Gates' image private from the broadcast video.

For years, Gates' team successfully transformed him from a Microsoft icon into a global philanthropist. However, the image of a benevolent billionaire was merely a facade concealing his relationship with Epstein and a series of personal scandals that are now gradually coming to light.

Source: https://znews.vn/hinh-tuong-bill-gates-sup-do-post1655934.html