Bill Gates has acknowledged having two affairs with Russian women during his marriage to Melinda French Gates and apologised for his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Gates spoke during a meeting with staff of the Gates Foundation on Tuesday, where he addressed questions about his personal life and his connection to Epstein.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Gates admitted to having two affairs that Epstein later became aware of. He described the relationships as personal mistakes but denied any involvement in criminal activity linked to Epstein.
“I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” Gates said.
“To be clear, I never spent any time with the victims, the women around him,” he added.
Gates said he had flown on a private plane with Epstein and spent time with him in the United States and abroad. However, he maintained that he was not involved in any criminal conduct. He also said he never visited Epstein’s private island and never stayed overnight at his residences.
He first met Epstein in 2011, several years after Epstein’s conviction in Florida for procuring a minor for prostitution. Despite concerns reportedly raised by Melinda French Gates, he continued to see Epstein until 2014, including during trips outside the United States. Gates said he was aware that Epstein had travel restrictions but admitted he did not fully investigate his background at the time.
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Speaking about his marriage, Gates said: “I did have affairs, one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities.”
Epstein had reportedly warned Gates about his involvement with Russian bridge player Mila Antonova. Epstein first met Antonova while seeking investors for a bridge academy and later funded her attendance at a software coding school. Gates met Antonova in 2010 during a bridge tournament.
In a July 4, 2013 email to Boris Nikolic, Gates’ science and technology adviser, Epstein named two women he claimed Gates had affairs with and suggested there was a risk of public exposure.
“Bill risks going from richest man to biggest hypocrite, Melinda a laughing stock, pledges will disappear as a result,” Epstein wrote to Nikolic.
Weeks later, Epstein sent an email to himself that appeared to be written in Nikolic’s voice. The message stated that he had been “caught up in a severe marital dispute between Melinda and Bill.” It also suggested that Nikolic had helped Gates obtain medication “to manage the consequences of sex with Russian women.” Nikolic later denied writing the email or authorising it.
At the town hall meeting, Gates acknowledged that his association with Epstein had affected others at the foundation.
“I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake I made,” he said.
Gates and Melinda French Gates divorced in 2021, ending their 27-year marriage. He has continued to deny any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, while acknowledging that his association with the financier and his personal conduct caused concern within his family and the foundation.