I had extra-marital affairs with two Russian Women – Bill Gates confesses

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has publicly acknowledged having two affairs with Russian women during his marriage to Melinda French Gates.

He described the relationships as personal mistakes while firmly denying any involvement in criminal activities linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

In a closed-door town hall meeting with staff at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Tuesday, Gates addressed renewed scrutiny following the release of additional U.S. Department of Justice documents related to Epstein.

According to multiple reports, including from The Wall Street Journal, Gates told employees he “did have affairs, one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist whom I met through business activities.”

Gates emphasized that these relationships occurred while he was married, prior to his 2021 divorce from Melinda French Gates and stressed they were unrelated to Epstein or any of the disgraced financier’s victims.

“I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” he reportedly said, adding that he never spent time with individuals connected to Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking network.

He described his past association with Epstein, which began around 2011 over shared interests in global health philanthropy, as a “huge mistake” and apologized for any reputational impact on the foundation.

The admissions come amid ongoing fallout from Epstein-related files, which include unverified 2013 emails where Epstein referenced Gates’ personal life, including allegations of facilitating affairs and even procuring antibiotics for a sexually transmitted infection purportedly linked to “Russian girls.”

Gates has previously dismissed such claims as false, and in the town hall, he clarified that Epstein learned of the affairs through a former adviser, Boris Nikolic, who discussed them during negotiations over his departure from the foundation.

Epstein reportedly attempted to leverage the information, though Gates maintained no extortion succeeded.

One of the women was identified in prior 2023 reporting as Mila Antonova, a Russian bridge player Gates met at tournaments around 2010.

The second woman, described as a nuclear physicist encountered through professional channels, has not been publicly named.

Gates, now 70, reiterated his regret over the Epstein connection, noting it was “foolish” to engage despite warnings from colleagues, including Melinda, who was reportedly skeptical of the association.

A foundation spokesperson confirmed Gates “took responsibility for his actions” during the meeting, framing the discussion as an effort to promote transparency amid public interest in the documents.