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Nathan Myhrvold

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ByEpsteinWiki
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Snapshot

Nathan Paul Myhrvold is an American scientist, inventor, business executive, author, and photographer. He was Microsoft’s first chief technology officer, founded Intellectual Ventures, and serves as its chief executive officer. He is also vice chairman of TerraPower’s board.

Myhrvold had a documented relationship with Jeffrey Epstein that extended from at least 1996 through 2018. The record includes two entries in published flight logs, extensive contact information, a contribution to Epstein’s 2003 birthday album, direct emails, planned visits, dinners, and meetings in Seattle, New York, and the Caribbean.

The relationship continued long after Epstein’s 2008 conviction and sex offender registration. Released correspondence shows a familiar personal tone that went beyond a narrow institutional exchange about science. Epstein and Myhrvold discussed travel, meals, health, books, yachts, art, social introductions, and visits. In 2011, Myhrvold wrote that he was passing Epstein’s Little Saint James property by boat and arranged to visit that weekend. The messages establish a planned visit, but they do not independently prove that he arrived. In 2014, Myhrvold invited Epstein to tour the Intellectual Ventures laboratory and office and asked him to bring a woman identified by first name in the email. The exchange does not establish her age, role, consent, or whether the visit occurred.

Myhrvold’s spokesperson has said that he knew Epstein through TED conferences and Epstein’s support for basic scientific research, and that he regrets ever meeting him. The spokesperson has not publicly answered detailed questions about the island exchange, the laboratory invitation, or the personal tone of the correspondence.

No survivor identified in the sources reviewed for this article has accused Myhrvold of sexual abuse, trafficking, recruitment, or another crime. The released emails reviewed here do not establish that Myhrvold knew about or participated in Epstein’s criminal conduct. His inclusion in records is not proof of wrongdoing. The importance of the evidence is that it documents the duration, access, settings, and post-conviction continuation of the relationship.

Key Takeaways

  • The documented relationship dates from at least December 1996 through October 2018.
  • Published flight records list Myhrvold on two Epstein aircraft trips in 1996 and 1997.
  • Epstein’s contact book reportedly contained extensive contact information for Myhrvold.
  • Myhrvold contributed a personal letter and sexualized wildlife photographs to Epstein’s 2003 fiftieth-birthday album.
  • In the birthday letter, Myhrvold described Epstein as one of the few people who had influenced how he understood the world and referred jokingly to Epstein’s lifestyle advice.
  • The 2003 contribution predates the public Palm Beach investigation. Myhrvold’s spokesperson said he had no knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct at the time.
  • Their contact continued after Epstein’s 2008 conviction and sex offender registration.
  • In 2011, Epstein sought Myhrvold’s help arranging a meeting with Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen. Reporting says the meeting was not arranged.
  • A November 2011 email chain shows Myhrvold passing Little Saint James by boat, accepting Epstein’s invitation, and planning to arrive on a Saturday afternoon. The correspondence does not independently confirm his arrival.
  • A 2013 calendar records a planned Seattle lunch, and reporting describes multiple meals at Epstein’s New York residence.
  • A November 2013 exchange contains a vulgar sexual joke from Myhrvold, demonstrating a familiar tone not explained by formal scientific business alone.
  • In May 2014, Myhrvold invited Epstein to the Intellectual Ventures laboratory and office and asked him to bring a woman identified by first name. Epstein replied that he would leave her there, and Myhrvold responded with a smile symbol.
  • The 2014 exchange does not establish the woman’s age, circumstances, or consent. It also does not prove that the proposed visit occurred.
  • Records document dinner planning in 2017 and personal correspondence and Caribbean travel discussion in 2018.
  • Myhrvold has not been criminally charged or convicted in connection with Epstein’s crimes, and no reviewed survivor account accuses him of abuse.

Identity and Public Career

Myhrvold was born in Seattle on August 3, 1959. He studied mathematics, geophysics, space physics, and economics at the University of California, Los Angeles, and earned a doctorate in theoretical and mathematical physics from Princeton University. He later conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge, where he worked with Stephen Hawking.

Myhrvold cofounded Dynamical Systems Research, which Microsoft acquired in 1986. He then spent fourteen years at Microsoft, where he led technology and business-development groups, helped establish Microsoft Research, and became the company’s first chief technology officer in 1996.

After leaving Microsoft in 2000, Myhrvold founded Intellectual Ventures, a Bellevue, Washington company focused on inventions, patents, licensing, and technology ventures. Myhrvold’s official biography identifies him as the company’s founder and chief executive officer. It also describes his scientific publishing, food photography, cookbooks, and work through the Cooking Lab.

Myhrvold is vice chairman of TerraPower, the nuclear-energy company associated with Bill Gates. TerraPower’s official leadership page identifies Myhrvold as vice chairman of the board and founder and chief executive officer of Intellectual Ventures.

These positions matter because Epstein repeatedly sought entry into prestigious scientific and technology networks. Myhrvold could provide access to inventors, investors, laboratories, Microsoft figures, and science-focused institutions. That context makes the relationship relevant to the study of Epstein’s reputation building and network expansion. It does not make Myhrvold responsible for Epstein’s crimes.

Evidence Standard

This article distinguishes what each record establishes from what it cannot establish.

A flight manifest establishes that a name was recorded as a passenger. It does not establish the purpose of the journey, every person present, or conduct during the trip.

A contact-book entry establishes retained contact information. It is not a list of offenders, clients, or criminal participants.

An email establishes what the sender wrote and what the recipient received. It does not automatically prove that a stated event occurred or that every claim was accurate.

A calendar entry establishes that a meeting was scheduled. It does not always prove attendance.

An invitation establishes proposed access. It does not prove the invited person appeared.

Photographs and a personal birthday message can establish familiarity. Standing alone, they do not establish knowledge of crimes.

The distinction is essential in this record. Several exchanges provide strong evidence of a close and continuing association. None of the reviewed records independently proves that Myhrvold participated in Epstein’s abuse or knew about it.

Documented Relationship With Jeffrey Epstein

The 1996 and 1997 Flights

Published flight-log research identifies Myhrvold on two trips aboard Epstein aircraft:

  • December 9, 1996: Fort Knox, Kentucky, to Teterboro, New Jersey. Listed passengers included Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, Myhrvold, and others.
  • January 11, 1997: Newark, New Jersey, to Titusville, Florida. Listed passengers included Epstein, Alan Dershowitz, Myhrvold, and Celina Midelfart.

The Nathan Myhrvold flight profile summarizes both entries. The records place Myhrvold in Epstein’s traveling circle years before the Palm Beach investigation became public.

The flights do not establish the purpose of either trip or wrongdoing by a passenger. They do establish that Myhrvold’s association with Epstein existed by late 1996.

Contact Records

Publicly indexed versions of Epstein’s contact book list Myhrvold with numerous telephone numbers and professional contact details. The volume of entries indicates that Epstein’s circle retained several ways to reach him.

That evidence is consistent with the later direct correspondence. It does not show how often each number was used or what was discussed.

The 2003 Birthday Album

Myhrvold contributed a one-page letter and a set of wildlife photographs to the album prepared for Epstein’s fiftieth birthday in 2003.

According to GeekWire’s review, the letter addressed Epstein as “Jeffery,” described him as one of the few people who had influenced how Myhrvold parsed and understood the world, and joked about Epstein giving lifestyle advice. Myhrvold described possible approaches to the birthday contribution as including silly and salacious material.

The accompanying images came from an African wildlife trip and included mating animals and explicit animal anatomy. The images were sexualized in the context of the birthday album, but they depicted wildlife, not people.

The album matters because it records personal esteem and participation in an intimate commemorative project. The House Oversight Committee release provides the official publication context for records supplied by Epstein’s estate.

Myhrvold’s spokesperson said he did not recall submitting the entry, regularly shared wildlife photographs and observations, and knew Epstein through TED conferences and scientific giving. Asked whether Myhrvold knew of Epstein’s criminal conduct when the album was prepared, the spokesperson answered that he absolutely did not.

The album was assembled before Epstein’s abuse became the subject of the public Palm Beach investigation. It establishes familiarity in 2003, not knowledge of conduct that had not yet become public.

Contact After Epstein’s Conviction

Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to state offenses involving prostitution and a minor. He served a jail sentence with extensive work release and was required to register as a sex offender. The 2019 federal indictment later charged him with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy. He died before trial, and those federal charges were dismissed without a verdict.

Myhrvold’s continued contact after 2008 is more significant than the earlier association because Epstein’s conviction and registration were public facts.

The 2010 Yacht Exchange

On October 27, 2010, Epstein asked whether Myhrvold had hosted Vladimir Putin on his boat. Myhrvold replied, “His wife and daughter.” The exchange appears in EFTA02414974.

The email establishes only that Myhrvold made the statement to Epstein. The released message does not identify which daughter he meant, when the alleged visit occurred, or provide independent confirmation. EpsteinWiki therefore does not present the yacht visit as verified fact.

The exchange is still relevant because it shows personal conversation about access to internationally prominent people.

The 2011 Seattle Dinner and Paul Allen Request

In July 2011, Epstein and Myhrvold discussed a Seattle dinner. EFTA00915565 records Epstein asking who else should be invited and proposing names that included Paul Allen. The next day, EFTA00915688 records Epstein asking whether they could meet Allen.

The Seattle Times investigation reported that Myhrvold was unable to reach Allen and that the requested meeting was not arranged.

The exchange shows Epstein using Myhrvold as a potential route to another major technology figure. It does not establish that Allen met Epstein through Myhrvold.

The 2011 Little Saint James Plan

On November 23, 2011, Myhrvold emailed Epstein while traveling in the Caribbean. In EFTA02003601, he wrote that he had just motored past Epstein’s island while aboard his own boat and wished him a happy Thanksgiving.

Epstein answered, “Come visit, I am here.” Myhrvold replied that he was heading to the British Virgin Islands for diving but might visit on Saturday. The full exchange appears in EFTA02002019.

On November 25, Myhrvold wrote that he thought his group could come the next afternoon and asked whether any time would not work. The following day he wrote that they should arrive around 4 p.m., perhaps earlier. That chain appears in EFTA01993525.

Little Saint James was one of the properties where survivors described Epstein’s abuse. That fact makes the planned visit important. It does not establish that every visitor knew about abuse or participated in it.

The emails provide strong evidence that Myhrvold intended to visit. They do not include a later arrival confirmation, guest log, photograph, or other reviewed record proving that he reached the island. The most accurate description is a planned visit, not a confirmed stay.

The 2013 Seattle Meeting

A 2013 calendar record lists travel to Seattle and a lunch with Myhrvold. The entry appears in EFTA00387086. Separate correspondence reported by The Seattle Times shows Myhrvold and Epstein discussing an early August visit and planning to meet.

The calendar supports a scheduled Seattle meeting. It does not prove the substance of the conversation or the presence of every expected participant.

Reporting also describes multiple meals at Epstein’s New York residence when Myhrvold was in the city. Those meetings help explain why later scheduling messages read as routine rather than exceptional.

The 2013 Vulgar Email

On November 23, 2013, Epstein thanked Myhrvold for sending books and noted that pistachio ice cream had not arrived. Myhrvold responded with a vulgar sexual joke that compared sexual access to an item that could not be shipped. The exchange appears in EFTA01753247.

The wording is relevant because it demonstrates an informal and sexually explicit tone between the men. It does not prove a particular act, identify any woman, or establish participation in trafficking. It does undermine a characterization of every interaction as a formal exchange limited to scientific funding.

The 2014 Intellectual Ventures Invitation

On May 31, 2014, Myhrvold invited Epstein to visit the Intellectual Ventures laboratory and his office. He also asked Epstein to bring a woman identified by first name in the original email. Epstein replied that he was going to leave her there. Myhrvold responded with a smile symbol. The exchange appears in EFTA01924293.

The record establishes an invitation by Myhrvold and Epstein’s reply. It does not establish:

  • The woman’s age
  • Her relationship to either man
  • Whether she agreed to any plan
  • What Epstein meant by leaving her there
  • Whether Epstein, the woman, or anyone else visited the laboratory
  • Whether any misconduct occurred

The woman’s name is withheld here because the released email does not establish public relevance sufficient to reproduce her identity. Reporting alternately described her as a woman or girl, but the primary record reviewed for this article does not establish her age. EpsteinWiki does not convert ambiguity into an allegation.

The invitation remains significant because it offered Epstein access to an institutional workplace in 2014, six years after his conviction. The exchange should be examined as evidence of access and tone, not proof of a completed visit or crime.

The 2017 Dinner

October 2017 correspondence coordinated a 7 p.m. Monday dinner between Epstein and Myhrvold. The scheduling chain noted that television host Dick Cavett might not attend. One copy appears in EFTA02226034.

The record documents continued dinner planning almost a decade after Epstein’s conviction. A schedule alone does not establish the meal’s subject or prove attendance, but it supports the broader chronology of sustained contact.

The 2018 Correspondence

The released archive shows direct communication continuing through 2018.

On May 12, Epstein asked when Myhrvold would next be in New York. Myhrvold said he had no trip planned but expected that he would return. That exchange appears in EFTA01061636.

On August 30, Myhrvold wrote about shingles pain, travel to Italy, and research for a book about pizza. The personal update appears in EFTA01026358.

On October 1, Myhrvold asked whether Epstein’s island had been rebuilt or refurbished after hurricane damage. Epstein said internet service had only recently returned. The exchange appears in EFTA01021242.

In another October exchange, Epstein asked about Myhrvold’s Caribbean plans. Myhrvold replied that he might travel in November or December. That correspondence appears in EFTA02622543.

These emails establish ongoing personal communication and discussion of possible travel. They do not prove that Myhrvold returned to the island or Caribbean that year.

Science, Technology, and Network Access

Epstein presented himself as a patron and convener of scientists. His support of research helped him enter universities, laboratories, conferences, and private gatherings where he could meet influential researchers and business leaders.

Myhrvold occupied a valuable position within that world. His career connected Microsoft, Intellectual Ventures, TerraPower, Bill Gates, inventors, physicists, investors, and scientific institutions. The emails concerning Paul Allen and the proposed Intellectual Ventures visit show Epstein seeking access through that network.

Some reporting has suggested that Myhrvold helped connect Epstein to Gates or that Epstein visited Intellectual Ventures with young women. Those claims require caution. Published accounts have relied partly on unnamed sources, and the newly released 2014 email does not establish the age of the woman mentioned or prove a visit occurred.

The primary evidence supports narrower findings:

  • Epstein and Myhrvold knew each other through settings that included TED conferences and scientific giving.
  • Epstein asked Myhrvold for access to Paul Allen.
  • Myhrvold invited Epstein to an Intellectual Ventures laboratory and office.
  • Their relationship included personal travel, meals, jokes, health updates, and social discussion beyond formal research matters.

TerraPower has said it had no connection to Epstein. The reviewed evidence does not establish that Epstein funded TerraPower, held a role there, or participated in its work. Myhrvold’s position at TerraPower is relevant biographical context, not evidence of company involvement.

For a related science-network intermediary, see EpsteinWiki’s Boris Nikolic profile. Researchers examining institutional and financial connections can also consult The Projects and the Epstein Forensic Finance Project and the Journalistic Investigative Archives.

Survivor Evidence and Legal Status

No survivor identified in the sources reviewed for this article has accused Myhrvold of sexual abuse, trafficking, recruitment, coercion, or facilitating Epstein’s crimes.

KUOW’s February 2026 interview with Seattle Times reporter Alex Halverson addressed this point directly. Halverson said he knew of no Epstein survivor accusing Myhrvold of unlawful behavior and that the reviewed emails did not themselves suggest that Myhrvold had been accused of a crime.

Myhrvold has not been criminally charged or convicted in connection with Epstein.

His name appeared in litigation materials in connection with a mistaken-identity theory advanced by Alan Dershowitz. Lawyers for Virginia Giuffre said they tested that theory by showing her photographs and that she continued to distinguish Dershowitz from Myhrvold. That filing did not accuse Myhrvold of abusing Giuffre. Later developments in the Giuffre and Dershowitz litigation must be read separately and do not convert the reference to Myhrvold into an allegation against him.

Survivor-centered reporting requires keeping that distinction clear. Myhrvold’s documented association merits scrutiny because of its duration, post-conviction continuation, island plan, institutional invitation, and access to powerful networks. Scrutiny is not a substitute for evidence of criminal conduct.

Myhrvold’s Response

Myhrvold’s spokesperson has repeatedly said that Myhrvold knew Epstein through TED conferences and as a donor to basic scientific research, and that Myhrvold regrets ever meeting him.

In response to the birthday-album reporting, the spokesperson said Myhrvold did not recall submitting the entry, regularly shared wildlife photographs, and did not know about Epstein’s criminal conduct when the album was assembled.

After the broader correspondence became public, The Seattle Times supplied detailed questions concerning the emails, the proposed island visit, and the Intellectual Ventures invitation. The spokesperson repeated the earlier statement and declined to address the specific exchanges in depth.

The response provides an explanation for how the men met and an expression of regret. It does not resolve why the relationship continued after Epstein’s conviction, how frequently they met, whether the 2011 island visit occurred, or whether the proposed 2014 laboratory visit took place.

What the Evidence Establishes

The reviewed record establishes that:

  • Myhrvold and Epstein knew each other by 1996.
  • Myhrvold was listed on two Epstein aircraft flights.
  • Myhrvold contributed a personal message and sexualized wildlife photographs to Epstein’s 2003 birthday album.
  • Direct correspondence continued after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
  • The men planned meetings and meals in Seattle and New York.
  • Epstein sought Myhrvold’s help obtaining access to Paul Allen.
  • Myhrvold arranged a possible visit to Little Saint James in November 2011.
  • Myhrvold invited Epstein to the Intellectual Ventures laboratory and office in 2014 and asked him to bring a woman.
  • Some correspondence was personal, familiar, and sexually vulgar.
  • Their direct communication continued through at least October 2018.
  • Myhrvold’s public explanation has emphasized TED conferences and scientific giving.
  • No reviewed survivor account accuses Myhrvold of abuse or trafficking.

What the Evidence Does Not Establish

The reviewed record does not establish that:

  • Myhrvold participated in Epstein’s sexual abuse or trafficking operation.
  • Myhrvold recruited or harmed a victim.
  • Myhrvold knew about Epstein’s criminal conduct before it became public.
  • A flight aboard Epstein’s aircraft involved misconduct.
  • Myhrvold completed the planned 2011 visit to Little Saint James.
  • The 2014 Intellectual Ventures visit occurred.
  • The woman mentioned in the 2014 email was a minor, a victim, an employee, or a romantic partner.
  • Intellectual Ventures or TerraPower received Epstein funding or participated in his crimes.
  • Paul Allen met Epstein through Myhrvold.
  • Myhrvold’s 2010 yacht statement was accurate.
  • Possible Caribbean travel discussed in 2018 occurred.
  • Association, correspondence, or presence in an archive proves criminal wrongdoing.

Unresolved Questions

  • When and where did Myhrvold first meet Epstein?
  • What was the purpose of the December 1996 and January 1997 flights?
  • How often did Myhrvold meet Epstein before and after the 2008 conviction?
  • Did Myhrvold know about the Palm Beach investigation, plea agreement, sentence, and sex offender registration when later meetings occurred?
  • Did the planned November 2011 visit to Little Saint James occur?
  • Who accompanied Myhrvold’s boat in 2011?
  • What did Myhrvold understand about Epstein’s activities on the island?
  • Did Epstein visit the Intellectual Ventures laboratory or office in 2014?
  • Who was the woman mentioned in the 2014 exchange, and what did Epstein mean by leaving her there?
  • Were Intellectual Ventures staff informed of the proposed visit?
  • Which New York dinners occurred, and who attended?
  • Did Epstein provide money for any project connected to Myhrvold?
  • Did Myhrvold introduce Epstein to scientists, investors, Bill Gates, or other Microsoft figures?
  • Why did the direct relationship continue through 2018?
  • Are there guest records, vessel logs, photographs, expense records, or security records that could confirm the proposed island or laboratory visits?

Evidence Index

  • EFTA02003601: Myhrvold says he has motored past Epstein’s island, November 23, 2011.
  • EFTA02002019: Epstein invites Myhrvold to visit, and Myhrvold discusses Saturday, November 2011.
  • EFTA01993525: Myhrvold plans a Saturday afternoon arrival, November 25 and 26, 2011.
  • EFTA02414974: Yacht exchange concerning Putin’s wife and daughter, October 27, 2010.
  • EFTA00915565: Seattle dinner planning and suggested guests, July 14, 2011.
  • EFTA00915688: Epstein asks Myhrvold about meeting Paul Allen, July 15, 2011.
  • EFTA00387086: Calendar entry for Seattle travel and lunch with Myhrvold, August 2013.
  • EFTA01753247: Books, ice cream, and vulgar joke exchange, November 23, 2013.
  • EFTA01924293: Intellectual Ventures laboratory and office invitation, May 31 and June 1, 2014.
  • EFTA02226034: New York dinner coordination, October 2017.
  • EFTA01061636: New York travel inquiry, May 12, 2018.
  • EFTA01026358: Personal health and Italy travel correspondence, August 30, 2018.
  • EFTA01021242: Discussion of island rebuilding after hurricane damage, October 1, 2018.
  • EFTA02622543: Possible Caribbean travel, October 2018.

Sources

Primary and Direct Records

Reporting

Biographical Sources

Editorial Note

This article is an evidence-based reference page. It distinguishes documented association from allegation, and allegation from proof. It does not infer guilt from a flight, contact entry, photograph, email, dinner, or planned visit.

The direct records are linked so readers can inspect the underlying evidence. Personal details concerning private people are limited where disclosure does not add verified public value. If additional primary records clarify whether a planned event occurred or whether a public statement requires correction, this page should be updated.

Last reviewed: August 24, 2026.

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