How Jeffrey Epstein Ingratiated Himself With Top Microsoft Executives

Microsoft was in turmoil in 2011: the company had missed on smartphones and search, and Steve Ballmer faced pressure as talk swirled about replacing him. In the middle of that maneuvering was Jeffrey Epstein. Documents from the Justice Department show he received updates on the hunt for a new chief executive from company insiders and offered play-by-play advice; "The plot thickens," a confidant wrote to Mr.

Epstein in a gossipy 2011 note. Over more than two decades Mr. Epstein built a network at Microsoft that gave him access to internal dramas, from CEO succession to executives philanthropy. The files name a range of acquaintances: Bill Gates; Nathan Myhrvold; Steven Sinofsky; Linda Stone; Reid Hoffman; and employees of Mr.

Gates personal investment and charity funds. After Mr. Epstein left prison in 2009, those connections helped his attempt to return to society, while similar efforts at other companies proved less fruitful. Nathan Myhrvold emerges repeatedly in the documents as a conduit.

jeffrey epstein, microsoft, steve ballmer, ceo succession, bill gates, nathan myhrvold, reid hoffman, steven sinofsky, linda stone, philanthropy