Bill Gates Admits To Extramarital Affairs With Two Russian Women During Marriage To Melinda, Apologises Over Epstein Ties

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has acknowledged having two extramarital affairs with Russian women while married to his now-ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, and issued an apology for his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Gates, 70, told staff at his foundation on Tuesday that he had flown on a private plane with Epstein and spent time with him in the U.S. and abroad, but maintained that he was not involved in any criminal activity, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Gates acknowledged his actions and addressed his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a meeting with staff at his charitable foundation, the organisation said.

The WSJ reported that Gates apologised to staff, admitted to having two affairs with Russian women that Epstein later became aware of, and commented on his association with the late financier, saying: “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit.”

“To be clear, I never spent any time with the victims, the women around him,” he said.

Gates first met Epstein in 2011, following the financier’s Florida conviction for procuring a child for prostitution, yet continued to socialize with him despite concerns reportedly raised by Melinda French Gates.

Gates has faced renewed scrutiny over his ties to Epstein after the US Department of Justice released related files in January.

While the billionaire has consistently denied any wrongdoing in his association with Epstein, he admitted to having affairs during his marriage to French Gates, who filed for divorce in 2021, bringing their 27-year marriage to an end.

“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,” he said at the meeting.

Epstein had reportedly warned Gates about his involvement with Russian bridge player Mila Antonova, according to previous reports.

Epstein first encountered Antonova while looking for 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, suggesting they faced the risk of sudden public exposure.

“Bill risks going from richest man to biggest hypocrite, Melinda a laughing stock, pledges will disappear as a result,” Epstein told Nikolic.

Just weeks afterward, 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 implied that Nikolic had helped Gates obtain medication “to manage the consequences of sex with Russian women.”

Nikolic later denied that the emails were written on his behalf or at his direction.

At the town hall, Gates acknowledged spending time with Epstein in New York, Germany, France, and Washington, while insisting he never visited Epstein’s private island.

Gates informed the foundation staff that he first met Epstein in 2011, several years after Epstein’s conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

He admitted that, while he was aware of restrictions on Epstein’s travel, he did not thoroughly investigate his background.

Gates continued to see Epstein through 2014, including spending time with him abroad, but maintained that he never stayed overnight or visited Epstein’s island. The interactions persisted despite concerns expressed by his ex-wife.

He recognised that his ex-wife had always been cautious about his association with Epstein and admitted that his connection with the financier had affected others at the Gates Foundation.

“I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake I made,” he said.

“Gates described his actions as the “opposite of the values of the foundation and the goals of the foundation”. (SaharaReporters)