Bill Gates Admits to Affairs With Two Russian Women, Apologizes for Epstein Ties as New DOJ Files Renew Scrutiny

U.S. philanthropist and creator of Microsoft Bill Gates has acknowledged having extramarital affairs with two Russian women during his marriage to Melinda French Gates, while pushing back on claims circulating online that he "admitted" to being with Russian prostitutes.

The admission, reported by The Wall Street Journal and other outlets, came during a Gates Foundation town hall where the billionaire philanthropist also apologized to staff for his past association with Jeffrey Epstein, calling it a "huge mistake."

In the meeting, Gates confirmed two affairs, one with a Russian bridge player he met through bridge events and another with a Russian nuclear physicist he met through business activities. Those reports do not describe the women as sex workers, and Gates' remarks as relayed by these outlets do not amount to an admission of paying for sex.

The renewed attention arrives amid a wave of newly released Justice Department materials related to Epstein, the late financier who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting federal trial on sex trafficking charges. DOJ documents include references to multiple meetings between Gates and Epstein after Epstein's 2008 Florida conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution, plus redacted images described as showing Gates with unidentified women. Gates told staff those photos were taken at Epstein's request, and he denied witnessing or engaging in criminal conduct.

"I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit," Gates said, as quoted in coverage of the town hall.

Gates' interactions with Epstein have been reported for years, but the latest document dump has sharpened questions about why one of the world's most prominent philanthropists maintained contact with a man already known publicly as a convicted sex offender.

According to the WSJ report, Gates took responsibility for associating with Epstein and apologized for involving Foundation executives in meetings connected to Epstein. The spokesperson said Epstein was never employed by the foundation and never received payments from it.

Public reporting has also described Epstein's attempts to use Gates' personal life as leverage. Epstein sought to pressure Gates over an alleged affair with a Russian bridge player, as Epstein tried to secure Gates as a major backer for a philanthropic fund. The Guardian also reported on that episode, characterizing it as an attempt to extort or blackmail Gates.

Inside Philanthropy, which reviewed emails referencing a proposed donor-advised fund concept, has described how Epstein pressed Gates and his team about building a large-scale giving vehicle and how seriously those discussions were considered during the period covered by the correspondence.