Epstein's Xbox Live Suspension Emerges in Latest Document Release
Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein faced a permanent ban from the online gaming platform Xbox Live in 2013 due to severe harassment and threats against fellow players, according to newly released government files. The Department of Justice disclosed an email dated December 19, 2013, which formally notified Epstein that his access had been "permanently suspended due to harassment, threats, and/or abuse of other players."
Details of the Gaming Platform Ban
The email explicitly stated that Epstein's conduct was determined to be "severe, repeated, and/or excessive," though it did not provide specific examples of his behaviour on the Microsoft console service. However, the notification outlined potential transgressions that could have triggered the ban, including threats of death, physical harm, or property damage; verbal abuse; extortion; libel; defamation; slander; or stalking. This revelation adds a new dimension to the disgraced financier's documented misconduct, extending beyond his notorious criminal activities to include online gaming interactions.
Bill Gates' Forceful Denials and Epstein's Claims
The latest document drop also includes lurid allegations concerning Microsoft founder Bill Gates, alongside references to Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Gates issued a rare and angry statement through his spokesperson, vehemently denying claims that he contracted a sexually transmitted disease from "Russian girls," obtained antibiotics from Epstein to treat the infection, and secretly administered them to his then-wife Melinda Gates.
The spokesperson told the Daily Mail: "These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false. The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein's frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame." Epstein allegedly made these astonishing claims in emails he sent to himself on July 18, 2013—approximately five months before his Xbox Live ban took effect.
Ongoing Revelations and Political Context
Friday's release features multiple new undated photographs showing Epstein and Gates together in various locations, adding to the visual record of their association. Gates has previously expressed regret over his friendship with Epstein, who died in a New York City jail in 2019, while consistently denying any wrongdoing. Over the years, Gates has sought to downplay their relationship, asserting they did not share a "business relationship or friendship" and that all meetings occurred in group settings.
This latest document disclosure follows the release of hundreds of thousands of pages related to Epstein by the House Committee on Oversight in late 2025, which included disturbing images of the financier with young-looking women. The files contain harrowing notes, references to prominent figures like former President Bill Clinton and Michael Jackson, and photographs of women's bodies.
Legal Proceedings and Transparency Efforts
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's close associate who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for recruiting underage girls, has claimed in a recent habeas corpus petition that 29 of Epstein's associates were protected through "secret settlements" with the Justice Department. Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats have been instrumental in pushing for the release of these case files, noting that Friday's disclosure represents only half of the collected documents.
The transparency effort gained legislative backing when Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on November 19, following internal Republican Party disputes over the records, which the President labelled a Democrat "hoax." This law mandates the government to open its files on Epstein and Maxwell, though previous releases have faced criticism for heavy redactions aimed at protecting victims' privacy and national security interests.
