Bill Gates acknowledges 2 affairs with Russian women, says they did not involve Epstein's victims: WSJ

Bill Gates has acknowledged having two affairs with Russian women and apologised to the staff of the Gates Foundation over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the Wall Street Journal reported on Feb. 24.

Russian bridge player and nuclear physicist

In a town hall on Tuesday (Feb. 24), the Microsoft co-founder acknowledged two affairs with Russian women that were later found out by Jeffrey Epstein, WSJ reported.

However, Gates said that the affairs did not involve Epstein's victims.

One was a Russian bridge player who met him at bridge events.

The other was a Russian nuclear physicist whom he met through business activities.

He told staff, "I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit."

Gates explained during the town hall that his science advisor, Boris Nikolic, who was close to Gates and Epstein, knew of these affairs and had told Epstein about them.

According to WSJ, Epstein reportedly inserted himself into discussions about Nikolic's departure from Gates' private office and threatened Gates using his knowledge of Gates' infidelity.

Among the files related to Epstein released by the U.S. Justice Department in January 2026 were emails which Epstein sent to himself in July 2013, alleging that Gates had extramarital affairs with Russian women.

These emails, according to WSJ, were drafted in the style of resignation letters from Nikolic.

Nikolic told WSJ that the emails were not written on his behalf or at his request.

The allegations against Gates also included the claim that Gates got a sexually transmitted infection that required antibiotics, and he tried to hide it.

Epstein also claimed in an email that Gates sought to "surreptitiously give" the antibiotics to his then-wife, Melinda French Gates.

A spokesperson for Gates had denied these allegations, calling them "absolutely absurd" and "completely false".

Photos of Gates and women taken at Epstein's request

The Epstein files also contained photos of Gates with women whose faces were redacted.

During the Feb. 24 town hall, Gates explained that Epstein had asked him to take photos with Epstein's assistants after their meetings.

"To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him," the billionaire said, according to WSJ.

Gates also told staff that it was a "huge mistake" to have spent time with Epstein and to have brought the Foundation's executives into meetings with the financier.

"I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made," Gates told the Foundation's staff.

Explaining his relationship with Epstein, who was convicted of child sex offences in 2008, Gates said that he started meeting Epstein in 2011.

Gates said he continued meeting with Epstein even after his then-wife, Melinda Gates, expressed concerns, WSJ reported.

"To give her credit, she was always kind of skeptical about the Epstein thing," Gates said of his ex-wife.

The two separated in 2021 after 27 years of marriage.

In a media interview on Feb. 5, Melinda said that the Epstein files release brought back "memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage".

She also said then that her ex-husband had questions to answer regarding his relationship with the convicted sex offender.

Gates took responsibility for actions: Gates Foundation spokesperson

"Knowing what I know now makes it, you know, a hundred times worse in terms of not only his crimes in the past, but now it's clear there was ongoing bad behaviour," Gates told Foundation staff during the town hall, WSJ wrote.

Gates said that he continued meeting with Epstein through 2014 and flew on a private jet together, spending time in Germany, France, New York and Washington.

However, Gates said he never stayed overnight or visited Epstein's Island.

According to Gates, Epstein often spoke of his connections with other billionaires, and he felt Epstein could help raise money for causes like Global Health.

The presence of prestigious people at the meetings made the situation feel "normalised", Gates said, but he recognised that his association with Epstein burnished the financier's reputation.

Gates also admitted during the town hall that his ties to Epstein and the disclosed emails had cast a cloud over the Gates Foundation and are the "opposite of the values of the Foundation and the goals of the Foundation."

According to WSJ, a Gates Foundation spokesperson said that Gates holds town halls twice a year and that he had spoken candidly, addressed several questions "in detail", and "took responsibility for his actions."

Top image via Bill Gates / Facebook