12 月 19 日，相關消息再度引發輿論關注。日前，美國國會眾議院民主黨監督委員會公開多達68張與「愛潑斯坦案」相關的最新照片，其中赫然出現科技界重量級人物比爾・蓋茨的身影。消息一出，不少網友感到錯愕，因為當「世界首富之一」與這樁震驚全球的醜聞案件被放在同一個語境中時，難免令人產生強烈的衝擊感。

對許多人而言，愛潑斯坦案的來龍去脈其實並不完全清楚。簡單來說，這起案件涉及美國富商傑弗里・愛潑斯坦長期利用自身的財富、人脈與權力，從事多項嚴重違法行為，其中包括打造臭名昭著、被外界稱為「惡魔島」的私人島嶼。案件之所以格外複雜，不僅在於犯罪情節本身，更因為牽涉到的名人數量眾多、社會地位極高，再加上愛潑斯坦在獄中突然身亡，讓整個事件留下大量疑點，也使外界至今難以釐清全貌。

此次公布的68張照片，並非隨意釋出，而是美國國會眾議院監督委員會從多達9萬5千張照片中篩選而來。這些影像皆取自愛潑斯坦的電子郵件與電腦資料，雖然照片本身未標註拍攝時間與地點，但畫面中出現的不僅有比爾・蓋茨，還包括多位政商與社會名流，因而再次引爆外界對案件牽連範圍的猜測。

在這批照片中，有兩張能清楚辨識比爾・蓋茨的面容。其中一張畫面裡，他與一名身穿藍色連身裙的女性並肩而立；另一張則是在走廊中，與一名穿著白色上衣的女性同框。不過，這兩名女性的臉部皆被刻意遮擋，無法確認其身分，也讓照片本身更添模糊與爭議。

事實上，早在2019年，《紐約時報》就曾報導，比爾・蓋茨早在2011年便已認識愛潑斯坦，雙方之後還進行過多次會面。今年11月13日，美國國會公布的一批愛潑斯坦案相關文件中，也出現與比爾・蓋茨有關的內容。根據部分媒體與自媒體整理的資料，這些文件包含愛潑斯坦與比爾・蓋茨助理之間於2017年的部分簡訊紀錄，當時雙方曾討論潛在的合作項目，但最終遭到比爾・蓋茨前妻梅琳達的反對而作罷。

梅琳達對愛潑斯坦的態度一向十分明確。她在2022年接受《名利場》雜誌專訪時直言，自己非常不喜歡比爾・蓋茨與愛潑斯坦保持聯繫，並且曾清楚表達反對立場。她也回憶起自己唯一一次與愛潑斯坦見面的經歷，坦言「一進門就後悔了」，並形容對方「令人厭惡」，可見其印象之惡劣。

在前妻態度如此強烈的情況下，外界也好奇比爾・蓋茨本人如何看待這段關係。過去他在接受媒體訪問時曾表示，自己希望從未與愛潑斯坦有過任何往來。隨著更多照片與文件被公開，相關討論恐怕仍將持續，而比爾・蓋茨與愛潑斯坦之間的關係，也勢必繼續成為外界關注與解讀的焦點。

On December 19, the issue once again drew widespread public attention. Earlier, the Democratic Oversight Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives released 68 newly disclosed photos related to the Epstein case, and among them appeared a familiar and highly influential figure from the tech world: Bill Gates. The news immediately sparked surprise and controversy, as many people were taken aback by seeing the name of one of the world’s most prominent billionaires linked to such a notorious scandal.

For many, the background of the Epstein case remains unclear. In simple terms, the “Epstein case” refers to a series of serious criminal activities in which American financier Jeffrey Epstein allegedly exploited his wealth, influence, and social connections to engage in illegal acts over many years. Among the most infamous elements of the case was his private island, widely dubbed the “pedophile island,” which became a symbol of the scandal. What makes the case especially complex is not only the severity of the alleged crimes, but also the large number of high-profile figures reportedly connected to Epstein, combined with his sudden death in jail, which left many unanswered questions and fueled speculation.

The 68 photos released this time were not randomly selected. According to the House Oversight Committee, they were chosen from a massive archive of roughly 95,000 images recovered from Epstein’s emails and computer files. Although the photos do not include information about when or where they were taken, they feature not only Bill Gates but also a number of well-known figures from political, business, and social circles, once again intensifying debate over the scope of Epstein’s network.

Among the released images, two photos clearly show Bill Gates’s face. In one, he is standing side by side with a woman wearing a blue dress; in another, he appears in a hallway with a woman dressed in a white top. In both cases, the women’s faces have been obscured, making their identities impossible to determine and adding further ambiguity to the images themselves.

In fact, as early as 2019, The New York Times reported that Bill Gates had known Epstein since 2011 and had met with him on multiple occasions. More recently, on November 13, the U.S. Congress released another batch of documents related to the Epstein case, some of which referenced Gates. According to media reports summarizing those materials, part of the documents included text message exchanges from 2017 between Epstein and an assistant of Bill Gates. At the time, Gates and Epstein were reportedly discussing potential cooperation on certain projects, but the idea was ultimately blocked by Gates’s then-wife, Melinda.

Melinda Gates has been very explicit about her negative view of Epstein. In a 2022 interview with Vanity Fair, she stated that she strongly disliked her husband’s association with Epstein and had clearly expressed her opposition. Recalling the only time she personally met Epstein, she said that she “regretted it the moment she walked in,” describing him as “repulsive,” a reflection of just how bad her impression of him was.

Given the former wife’s firm stance, public curiosity has naturally turned to how Bill Gates himself views the relationship. In previous interviews, Gates has stated that he wishes he had never met Epstein at all. As more photos and documents continue to be released, public scrutiny is unlikely to fade, and the nature of Bill Gates’s past interactions with Epstein will likely remain a focal point of discussion and interpretation.