Bill Gates has admitted to extramarital affairs with Russian women and apologized for his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, raising serious questions about the billionaire’s judgment and the elite’s disturbing connections to one of the most notorious criminals in recent history.
Story Snapshot
- Gates admitted to affairs with Russian bridge player Mila Antonova and a Russian nuclear physicist during a Gates Foundation town hall on February 24, 2026
- The Microsoft co-founder apologized for his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, which began in 2011 after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for procuring a child for prostitution
- Newly released Epstein files from 2013 contain claims that Gates had relations with Russian women and needed STD treatment, which the Gates Foundation denies as “absurd and false”
- Gates’ association with Epstein reportedly contributed to his 2021 divorce from Melinda French Gates, who had warned him about the convicted criminal
Gates Admits Affairs During Foundation Meeting
Bill Gates addressed Gates Foundation staff on February 24, 2026, confessing to two extramarital affairs during his marriage. Gates acknowledged an affair with Mila Antonova, a Russian bridge player he met at a tournament in 2010, and another with a Russian nuclear physicist he encountered through business dealings. The admissions come amid renewed scrutiny following the release of millions of Epstein-related documents days earlier. Gates insisted to staff that he “did nothing illicit” and “never spent any time with the victims,” attempting to separate his personal indiscretions from criminal activity.
Epstein’s Blackmail Attempts and Disturbing Connections
Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019, maintained contact with Gates beginning in 2011, three years after Epstein’s conviction for procuring a child for prostitution. Epstein even financed Mila Antonova’s coding school tuition after meeting her through a bridge academy connection. According to 2023 Wall Street Journal reporting, Epstein threatened Gates over the Antonova affair, attempting to leverage the relationship for personal gain. Gates traveled multiple times with Epstein, including flights on his private plane, despite warnings from his then-wife Melinda. This pattern of association with a known sex offender demonstrates a disturbing lack of judgment that Americans rightfully find troubling.
Foundation Denies Explosive Claims in Released Files
Newly released Epstein documents include 2013 emails in which Epstein claimed Gates had “sex with Russian girls” and required medication for sexually transmitted diseases. The Gates Foundation quickly dismissed these allegations as “absolutely absurd and completely false,” stating that Epstein made such claims out of frustration after Gates rejected his attempts at friendship. However, the timing of these denials alongside Gates’ admission of actual affairs with Russian women raises questions about what else the billionaire philanthropist might be concealing. The foundation’s defensive posture suggests damage control rather than transparency, a familiar tactic among the elite when confronted with uncomfortable truths.
Implications for Gates’ Legacy and Billionaire Accountability
Gates’ admissions threaten to permanently tarnish his carefully cultivated image as a global philanthropist. The Gates Foundation, a major funder of global health initiatives, now faces potential donor scrutiny and questions about governance oversight. Gates previously described his Epstein ties as “a huge mistake” in an Anderson Cooper interview, yet continued the relationship for years despite the convicted criminal’s background. His 2021 divorce from Melinda French Gates reportedly stemmed partly from concerns over these Epstein connections. For everyday Americans who value accountability and transparency, this revelation underscores the troubling reality that billionaires often operate by different rules, maintaining relationships with criminals while facing minimal consequences.
Report: Bill Gates admits affairs with Russian women, apologizes for Epstein ties
Gates told staff he met Epstein after his 2008 conviction, flew on his jet and denies wrongdoing or DOJ email claimshttps://t.co/p95cLay9Ef pic.twitter.com/DwswkIZHtC
— Ynet Global (@ynetnews) February 25, 2026
The broader implications extend beyond Gates personally to questions about elite networks and access. How many other prominent figures maintained inappropriate relationships with Epstein after his conviction? Gates’ willingness to associate with a convicted sex offender demonstrates the kind of moral flexibility that erodes public trust in institutions and powerful individuals. Americans deserve answers about why someone with Gates’ resources and influence chose to cultivate a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and whether similar connections remain hidden among other members of the billionaire class who lecture ordinary citizens about values and responsibility.
Sources:
Bill Gates Admits To 2 Affairs, Apologizes Over Epstein Ties: Report
Epstein claimed Bill Gates had sex with Russian girls, files show
