Admits affairs with Russian bridge player and nuclear physicist
Denies allegations involving Epstein's victims
Apologizes, calling his ties with Epstein "a big mistake"
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft (MS), who has been embroiled in allegations of close ties with Jeffrey Epstein and of an extramarital affair, has acknowledged that he cheated in the past. However, he drew a line at the claims that his affair partner was a victim of Epstein's sexual exploitation and at suspicions that he was involved in Epstein's crimes.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 24th (local time) that Gates directly addressed the Epstein-related controversy during a town hall meeting with employees of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In an on-site recording obtained by the WSJ, he stated, "In the past, I had two extramarital affairs."
He also spoke in relatively specific terms about the affair partners. He explained, "One was a Russian bridge player whom I met at a bridge game, and the other was a Russian nuclear physicist whom I came to know in the course of business activities." The Russian nuclear physicist is known to have previously worked for a Gates company, but it has not been confirmed whether the relationship began while she was employed.
Gates, however, denied the allegation that his affair partners were victims of Epstein's sexual exploitation. He insisted, "I did not do anything inappropriate, and I did not see anything inappropriate," adding, "I never spent time with the victims or with women around them." He also explained the photos with women included in the "Epstein documents" by saying, "They are just photos that Epstein asked me to take with his staff right after meetings."
The WSJ reported that Epstein, after learning of Gates's infidelity, attempted to use it as leverage to pressure him. According to the report, Epstein paid tuition for Mila Antonova, a Russian-born bridge player who dated Gates in 2013, and then in 2017 demanded reimbursement of those expenses from Gates's side. Gates said that Boris Nikolic, a former close aide and scientific adviser, had told Epstein about his affair.
The fact that his ex-wife Melinda Gates had expressed concern about his interactions with Epstein was also mentioned. Gates said, "Melinda was always somewhat skeptical about Epstein." Even so, he admitted that he maintained contact with Epstein until 2014. He stressed, however, that he never visited Epstein's private island and never stayed overnight with him.
Gates said that his interactions with Epstein were "a big mistake" and added, "I realize that my association with him helped burnish the reputation of that sex offender." He went on to say, "I apologize to everyone who got pulled into this because of my mistake."
Meanwhile, the recently released additional "Epstein documents" also contain various claims related to Gates. They include allegations that Gates contracted a sexually transmitted disease after having relationships with Russian women and tried to hide this from his ex-wife Melinda, but Gates's side has denied these claims as "completely unfounded."
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