The Gates Back Channel: Polio, Intelligence, and the Rothschild Bridge

In November 2009, a correspondent emailed Epstein: "Boris is currently negotiating a job w bill. He needs help. He wants to be rich and has no idea how to craft the right deal. Help him, svengalil" (EFTA01820191-0). Boris Nikolic was about to become Bill Gates's science advisor. Four days later Nikolic wrote Epstein directly: "My trip is confirmed. I am traveling with Bill to South Africa a day after Thanksgiving. He will continue to Kenya but I can't join" (EFTA02435461-0). They had not yet met in person. Nikolic was already traveling with Gates through Africa.

September 30, 2012. Gates emailed Nikolic about Melinda French's agriculture trip in Tanzania with Kofi Annan: "Go ahead and forward this to Jeffrey. He and I talked quite a bit last night including explaining that Melinda had just been in Africa with Kofi. She really liked Kofi a lot." Nikolic forwarded the message to Epstein with two words: "For you" (EFTA01803600-0).

March 2013. Nikolic sent Epstein a formal intelligence request. Subject line: "Polio - update - specific asks." Four questions: "Any advice re dealing with the violence in Nigeria and Pakistan? Who is perceived as influential in these problematic areas?" And: "How/who can assess whether the Taliban or Boko Harem can be ok with polio eradication and if so how we avoid conflict" (EFTA01900866-0). Epstein responded a week later: "I have asked my best sources for their consideration and advice. (their joint conclusions are very often better than the list of the various, 26, three-letter agencies)" (EFTA01761706-0). The next day he wrote: "I have instructed terje to put together the best team he can to begin in pakistan, afganistan" (EFTA01898485-0). Terje was Terje Rød-Larsen, president of the International Peace Institute.

The same month Epstein sent Nikolic a one-line message: "if bill wants a favor in paki or nigeria, he will have to learn to respond to invitations by a yes or no, not ignoring" (EFTA01786552-0). Nikolic replied: "I do not understand what you are referring to?" (EFTA01789442-0).

By July 2013 the Gates Foundation had funded the request. Melissa Covelli West laid out the deliverables: "Reduce number of inaccessible children to zero. Create safety for polio vaccinators/health workers and their security teams." IPI would provide "research, analysis and insights of the political environment in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern Nigeria, and Somalia" (vol00009-efta00969185-pdf-3). In September the Foundation committed $1 million in general operating support and a $4 million project grant over three years (EFTA01959363-1). Nikolic forwarded the internal timeline update to Epstein with a warning: "Please do not forward. Let's discuss asap. IPI should ask fast!" (EFTA01964359-10).

The reports IPI produced traveled through Rød-Larsen to Epstein. The most detailed was a May 2013 field report by Nasra Hassan. Her conclusion after five days across the FATA tribal areas: "religion-based refusal is a very small part of the problem; the rest is pressure tactics by not only the Taliban but also local communities." She documented ghost vaccination teams: "funds provided for 15 teams, but only 10 actually exist, ditto transport, fuel etc." Surveys had been gamed: respondents "deliberately gave wrong info or provided answers which would please the sponsor." Communities without water or electricity imposed local bans: "no PC until we get electricity" (vol00009-efta00657797-pdf-0).

Three weeks after the field report a CIA drone killed Wali ur Rahman, the Pakistani Taliban's second-in-command. Hassan wrote to Rød-Larsen on May 30, 2013: "Unfortunately today's CIA droning to death of the Pak Taliban's No 2 (Wali ur Rahman) has complicated matters. He was a pragmatic voice, who opposed suicide attacks in Pakistan (though not in Afghanistan) and who believed in and was ready to negotiate with the 'new' Govt in Pak." She had been "working behind the scenes to get the 'new' Govt to include polio issues in their negotiations with TTP" (EFTA01969802-0). The strike ended that track.

November 5, 2013. Epstein forwarded an article directly to Nikolic. Subject line: "Bill Gates should not visit Nigeria." Boko Haram had shot dead ten polio workers in Kano and three in Borno. A northern Nigerian coalition had petitioned President Jonathan to cancel Gates's visit because "it may heighten tension and create fear amongst the administrators of the vaccines on children" (vol00009-efta00974820-pdf-0).

February 2015. Hassan sent Rød-Larsen a report titled "Urgent, Confi, plz pass on to Bill Gates." In Zhob, Balochistan, a polio team of three workers and two paramilitary escorts had gone missing. "two suicide bombers blew themselves up on Sunday 15 Feb pm, the 1st suicide bombing in connection with polio." Four bodies were recovered (vol00009-efta00864113-pdf-0). Rød-Larsen forwarded the report to Epstein.

October 2012. Epstein wrote to Nikolic: "ifsomething happens to bill , insurance, contract loan forgiven over time. . 2. you recognize his concern that the limitation should be on your time, as money is more flexible, 3. it has to be a mechanism to genrarte fincancil secuirty, 5 deals of 20 million each" (EFTA01892907-0). Eight months later he pitched again: "we buy the ny townhouse , it becomes the gates foundation office for science and tech , you are its president. It can invest at least 100 million in tech deals" (EFTA01967855-0). In October 2013: "don't forget to remind bill that he has to do something" (EFTA01952695-0). Thirty days later Epstein emailed Gates, Nikolic and Larry Cohen directly: "It's easy. Bill uses a 10-15 million dollar advance to buy his interest in the fund. Boris gets all the downside and fifty percent of the upside" (EFTA01756287-0).

October 2013. Epstein introduced Ariane de Rothschild, vice chair of the Edmond de Rothschild Group, to Sultan Bin Sulayem. Rothschild wrote back: "thank you very much for introducing me to sultan suleyman. What a fantastically energetic man! I will look into his harbour fund and will put him into contact with the pdt of Cameroun and somebody in Ivory Coast" (vol00009-efta00872215-pdf-0). A month later Epstein sent her a three-line contact sheet: "for qatar, Jabor - al thani. for ivory coast. nina keita. for somailland yemen egypt. abdullah shaher" (EFTA01946328-0). In May 2016 he offered private access to the president of Ivory Coast: "great, if you want private time with Outarra, his niece Nina, is his personal contact" (vol00009-efta00703590-pdf-0). In November 2014 Epstein instructed his financial manager Richard Kahn to build a reporting template for the Rothschild family: "houses pregny, bretbgne, paris, mozambique, cameroon. invest cheese, wine. 3 vinearyds, lafitie. bank holding. notel. investments. art. jewelery, etc" (vol00009-efta01000473-pdf-0).

In August 2019, two days before his death, Epstein signed a will naming Boris Nikolic as backup executor of his estate.