Jeffrey Epstein and Nathan Myhrvold: What the Documents Actually Show
Fast facts about the Jeffrey Epstein – Nathan Myhrvold connection
Nathan Myhrvold is a former Microsoft chief technology officer and co-founder of Intellectual Ventures and TerraPower, and a long-time figure in tech, science, and philanthropy.
Myhrvold appears in multiple sets of Jeffrey Epstein–related records, including flight logs, the “little black book” address book, and the 2003 50th birthday scrapbook compiled for Epstein.
A 2003 birthday book entry lists Myhrvold as a “friend” of Epstein and includes a letter and wildlife photos that were later released by Congress as part of the Epstein files.
Flight logs filed in litigation involving Virginia Giuffre list Nathan Myhrvold on at least two flights on Epstein’s private jet in the 1990s.
Entries in Epstein’s “little black book” show contact information for Nathan Myhrvold and several staff members at Intellectual Ventures, linking Epstein’s contact network to Myhrvold’s company.
A 2010 scientific meeting on a Caribbean island owned by Epstein reportedly included Myhrvold among the invited scientists and technologists; coverage of that event notes that the guests themselves were not accused of criminal activity.
Media reports based on court records and depositions say Virginia Giuffre’s sworn testimony mentioned Myhrvold as one of many well-known men present in Epstein’s orbit; those reports also stress that the documents do not state she had sexual contact with him or that he knew of underage abuse.
Myhrvold’s spokesperson has repeatedly said that he knew Epstein from TED conferences and from the world of science philanthropy, that he never did business with Epstein, and that he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
As of late 2025, there is no public record that Nathan Myhrvold has been charged with, or sued over, any Epstein-related crime.
Who is Nathan Myhrvold in this context?
Nathan Myhrvold is a prominent American technologist and inventor. He served as Microsoft’s first chief technology officer and later co-founded Intellectual Ventures, a firm that acquires and develops patents. He is also vice-chair of TerraPower, a nuclear energy company associated with Bill Gates, and is known for his work in food science and photography.
Because of this career, Myhrvold sits at the intersection of big tech, venture capital, and high-end philanthropy—exactly the kind of social and professional circles where Jeffrey Epstein sought influence and access.
This article looks at how Myhrvold’s name appears in the Epstein files, what those documents actually say, and how researchers should read them without jumping to conclusions.
The 2003 Epstein 50th birthday book
One of the clearest records tying Myhrvold to Epstein is the leather-bound scrapbook created for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. The album, assembled by Ghislaine Maxwell and later released by the U.S. House Oversight Committee, contains letters, photos, and drawings from family, friends, business partners, and famous associates.
In the “friends” section of the book, Nathan Myhrvold appears as a contributor. Media coverage of the released scans describes his entry as follows:
Myhrvold is listed as a “friend” of Epstein in the scrapbook.
His contribution is a short note explaining that he “agonized” over what to write and decided not to send either a philosophical essay or a deliberately “silly and salacious” message.
Instead, he chose to include a series of photos he took on a trip to Africa, showing animals in sexual or suggestive situations—zebras mating, a baboon with an erection, and similar images.
He writes that the pictures “seemed more appropriate than anything [he] could put in words.”
News outlets that reported on the birthday book also note that a spokesperson for Myhrvold said he knew Epstein from TED conferences and as a donor to basic scientific research and that he now regrets ever having met him. The spokesperson also said Myhrvold frequently shares photos of animal behavior as part of his work as a wildlife photographer.
The key point for researchers is that the birthday book documents a social connection and a willingness to send a personal, somewhat bawdy tribute. It does not by itself document any business relationship, financial tie, or criminal conduct.
Flight logs and travel records
Another major set of Epstein files consists of flight logs for his private planes, released through litigation, including defamation suits involving Virginia Giuffre. These logs have become central to understanding who traveled with Epstein and when.
According to reporting on those court filings:
Nathan Myhrvold’s name appears in flight logs for at least two trips on Epstein’s private jet in the 1990s.
The logs list him as a passenger alongside Epstein and other guests; they do not describe any criminal conduct on the flights.
These records were sealed for years but were made public as part of broader unsealing of documents in 2024 and 2025.
Flight logs by themselves are limited. They show that Myhrvold traveled on Epstein’s plane, but they do not explain the purpose of the trips, what happened on board, or what occurred at the origin or destination. For that, journalists have turned to interviews and other documents.
The “little black book” and Intellectual Ventures contacts
Epstein’s “little black book” was an address book recovered from his home and later published by journalists. The index of that book and derivative databases list hundreds of names, grouped with their companies and staff.
In those materials, researchers find:
An entry under “Nathan Myhrvold – Intellectual Ventures” with U.S. contact details.
Additional entries for several people listed as working at Intellectual Ventures (for example, assistants or colleagues) under Myhrvold’s name, suggesting Epstein had access to his office contact network.
The presence of Myhrvold and his staff in the black book suggests Epstein maintained contact information that would allow him to reach Myhrvold or his office directly. As with many names in the book, this is evidence of a relationship of some kind, but not evidence of any crime.
It also connects Epstein’s address book to one of Myhrvold’s most important business entities, Intellectual Ventures.
Mentions in court files and depositions
Court records unsealed in recent years—especially those arising from Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuits—contain long lists of people who appear in logs, phone records, and deposition testimony.
A 2019 Vanity Fair report, summarizing what lawyers expected to appear in one major document release, said that:
Virginia Giuffre’s depositions named Nathan Myhrvold among numerous powerful men seen in Epstein’s orbit.
Sources who were briefed on the documents emphasized that these particular references did not state that Giuffre had sex with Myhrvold or that he knew the girls around Epstein were underage.
The same article reported that some of Myhrvold’s contact details, like those of other prominent men, were found in Epstein’s black book.
In response, Myhrvold’s spokesperson stated that:
He had no knowledge of, or involvement in, any of the crimes alleged against Epstein.
He was never a client of Epstein’s money-management business.
He never did business with Epstein “of any sort.”
He knew Epstein socially in contexts like TED conferences and scientific philanthropy, and that, in his view, “that’s exactly where their association ends.”
These statements are important because they establish both the presence of Myhrvold’s name in official records and his explicit denial of criminal involvement or business ties.
A 2010 science conference on Epstein’s island
Another piece of the puzzle comes from reporting on a 2010 scientific gathering organized by optical-illusion researcher Al Seckel. According to a detailed article in Tablet, Seckel hosted a private scientific conference on a Caribbean island owned by Jeffrey Epstein.
The guest list for that event reportedly included well-known scientists and technologists, among them Nathan Myhrvold. Coverage of the conference is careful to note that:
The meeting was described as an opportunity for scientists and thinkers to talk and network.
Neither Seckel nor any of the guests were accused, in that reporting, of using the island for sexual encounters with minors.
The event took place after Epstein’s 2008 conviction had already become public, raising questions in hindsight about why some guests attended, but without alleging specific wrongdoing by them.
For the Epstein files researcher, this conference is another documented point of contact: Myhrvold appears as one of several high-status invitees to an event funded by Epstein on his private island. It shows proximity and social overlap, not proof of criminal acts.
Shared circles: tech, philanthropy, and Epstein’s other close associates
Understanding the Epstein–Myhrvold relationship also means looking at the shared networks around them. Myhrvold’s companies and projects tie him to a number of people who are, separately, documented as Epstein associates.
Intellectual Ventures and TerraPower
Intellectual Ventures: Co-founded by Myhrvold, this patent and invention company has counted Bill Gates among its high-profile backers and partners. Gates and Myhrvold also collaborated on other ventures and books.
TerraPower: A nuclear-energy company founded with significant support from Bill Gates. TerraPower has publicly stated that it has never had any connection with Jeffrey Epstein, and that the Epstein records released by Congress pre-date the company’s formation.
Bill Gates himself is a well-documented Epstein associate, with multiple meetings after Epstein’s 2008 conviction reported in major outlets and discussed in Gates’s own public Q&A sessions. Those contacts are separate from Myhrvold, but they show how Epstein sought access to the same tech and philanthropy circles where Myhrvold was a central figure.
The birthday book “friends” cluster
In the 50th birthday scrapbook, Myhrvold’s letter appears alongside contributions from other major Epstein associates, including:
Leslie (Les) Wexner – The billionaire behind L Brands and Victoria’s Secret, widely considered Epstein’s most significant early patron and financial backer.
Leon Black – Co-founder of Apollo Global Management, later revealed to have paid Epstein large sums for tax and estate planning advice.
Bill Clinton – Former U.S. president, who has acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane multiple times for philanthropic trips while denying knowledge of the criminal conduct.
Donald Trump – Later U.S. president, who socialized with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s before publicly breaking with him; Trump has disputed the authenticity of a birthday note attributed to him.
The fact that Myhrvold appears in the same curated “friends” section as these figures suggests that Epstein and Maxwell saw him as part of a core social circle of powerful men in business, politics, and finance.
Again, being in that circle does not automatically imply involvement in crimes. It is, however, part of the documentary record of who Epstein courted and who responded to him as a peer.
What Myhrvold and his companies say about Epstein
Across multiple news cycles, Myhrvold and his representatives have taken a consistent public line about Epstein. Key points from their statements include:
Myhrvold knew Epstein socially, primarily through TED conferences and philanthropy related to science and research.
He says he never invested money with Epstein and never used him as a money manager.
He states he never did business with Epstein in any form.
He denies any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of minors or related crimes.
In recent statements responding to the birthday book and flight-log coverage, his spokesperson has said he “regrets that he ever met” Epstein.
TerraPower, the nuclear company where Myhrvold serves as vice-chair, has separately stressed that the company itself has no connection to Epstein and that all newly released Epstein-related records come from a period before TerraPower existed.
These denials and clarifications are part of the public record and must be weighed alongside the documentary evidence of travel, correspondence, and shared events.
How to read the Epstein files in this case
The Epstein record set is vast: flight logs, phone messages, contact books, emails, financial records, court exhibits, and now items like the 50th birthday book. When looking at the specific case of Jeffrey Epstein and Nathan Myhrvold, it is important to apply a careful research method.
Some guiding points:
Names in a document are not proof of wrongdoing.
Appearing in flight logs, address books, or a birthday scrapbook shows some kind of connection, but it does not, by itself, prove that a person knew about or participated in Epstein’s crimes.Context matters.
A name in a flight log tells you who was on a plane; a name in a birthday book tells you who sent a note. Only by cross-checking multiple sources—court documents, contemporary news, and later statements—can you understand the likely nature of the tie.Spelling, duplication, and common names.
In many parts of the Epstein files, names are handwritten or typed informally, and people with the same or similar names can be confused. In this case, Nathan Myhrvold is a distinctive figure with a unique name, which reduces ambiguity, but the general caution still applies.Distinguish documented facts from rumors.
When an article cites anonymous sources, describes impressions, or uses language like “reportedly,” those claims should not be treated as established fact. They are part of the story but not the same as sworn testimony or official findings.Separate social proximity from criminal liability.
Many people in academia, finance, philanthropy, and politics interacted with Epstein in public or semi-public settings, especially before his 2008 conviction. Those relationships are newsworthy and worth documenting, but they are not equivalent to participation in trafficking or abuse.
This kind of method—sometimes described as “how to read Epstein document dumps”—is essential for anyone trying to understand the files without overstating what they show.
What the documented record shows about Epstein and Nathan Myhrvold
Putting all the strands together, the public record as of late 2025 supports the following summary of the Epstein–Myhrvold relationship:
Myhrvold was part of the tech and science elite that Epstein sought to cultivate, especially in the 1990s and 2000s.
Epstein kept Myhrvold’s contact information, plus contact details for several Intellectual Ventures staff, in his “little black book,” suggesting that Epstein expected to reach Myhrvold or his office directly.
Flight logs from litigation involving Virginia Giuffre show Myhrvold as a passenger on Epstein’s private jet on at least two occasions in the 1990s.
In 2003, for Epstein’s 50th birthday, Myhrvold contributed a letter and sexually suggestive animal photographs to a scrapbook of messages from Epstein’s friends and associates, where he is listed as a “friend.”
Reporting on court documents indicates that Myhrvold’s name appears in the broader Epstein case file—alongside other well-known men—as someone seen in Epstein’s environment, while also emphasizing that these documents do not accuse him of sexual contact with Giuffre or of knowing that girls were underage.
Myhrvold reportedly attended at least one scientific conference on Epstein’s Caribbean island, an event whose attendees have not been accused in that reporting of crimes.
Myhrvold and his representatives acknowledge that he knew and socialized with Epstein, but they deny any business relationship, deny any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse, and say he regrets the association.
There are, at this time, no public criminal charges or civil suits accusing Nathan Myhrvold of participating in Epstein’s trafficking crimes.
For researchers trying to understand the Epstein files, this case is an example of how complex and uncomfortable the documentary record can be: a mix of social ties, travel, and personal messages that show proximity to a serial offender, without, on the current record, crossing the line into proven criminal conduct by that associate.
Documenting those ties—clearly, cautiously, and with attention to what the sources actually say—is part of understanding the reach of Epstein’s influence while avoiding unfounded accusations.
Nathan Myhrvold
This research page compiles publicly available information about Nathan Myhrvold and their place in the broader Jeffrey Epstein connection graph. People may appear here either because they are mentioned in one or more evidence items (such as flight logs, emails, legal records or credible public reporting), or because reliable public sources document relationships or affiliations that link them to others in this network.
Some profiles therefore track individuals who may be several steps removed — sometimes up to six degrees of separation — from Jeffrey Epstein himself. They are included so researchers can see whether those names later recur in other documents, networks, or investigations. Listing Nathan Myhrvold here is not, by itself, a statement of guilt or innocence.
Use the network graph, shortest-path view, and evidence links below to explore how this person connects to others in the dataset and to Jeffrey Epstein.
Wikipedia Information 
Nathan Paul Myhrvold is an American inventor, scientist, and businessman, former Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft, co-founder of Intellectual Ventures and TerraPower, and the principal author of Modernist Cuisine and its successor books.
- Nathan Myhrvold
- Jeffrey Epstein
Closest Connections
- Stephen Hawking — connection — Weak
Evidence
- Nathan Myhrvold (Other) 0
- Gregory Gorder — connection — Weak
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- Nathan Myhrvold (Other) 0
- Peter Detkin — connection — Weak
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- Nathan Myhrvold (Other) 0
- Edward Jung — connection — Weak
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- Nathan Myhrvold (Other) 0
- Bill Gates — connection — Weak
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- Nathan Myhrvold (Other) 0
- Jeffrey Epstein — connection — Weak
Evidence
- Nathan Myhrvold (Other) 0
Click a name to highlight 1° / 2° / 3° rings. Edge thickness indicates connection strength. Use Tab to focus and arrow keys to navigate.
The presence of Nathan Myhrvold in this dataset should be understood in a research and mapping context only. The project traces publicly documented relationships and degrees of separation — sometimes several steps removed — to see whether particular names recur across different evidence sets over time.
A person may therefore appear here because they are directly mentioned in documents, because they have a publicly reported relationship or affiliation with others in the network, or because they sit several links away in a chain of acquaintances. Inclusion alone does not imply criminal conduct, moral judgment, or endorsement.