During a meeting with employees of his foundation on February 24, 2026, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates made a series of candid statements. The billionaire admitted to having extramarital affairs with two Russian women who were later used by criminal financier Jeffrey Epstein for blackmail.
Gates apologized to the employees of the Gates Foundation for his ties to Epstein, admitting that he had made mistakes that cast a shadow on himself and the philanthropic group. However, Gates insists that he did not participate in Epstein’s crimes. He claims that Epstein used his affairs with Russian women to blackmail him. During the meeting, Gates admitted to having two affairs with Russian women. He added that there was nothing illegal about it; rather, he “did not see anything illegal” in it, according to a transcript reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
He said that the images in Epstein’s recently declassified files, which show him with women whose faces are obscured, were photographs that Epstein had asked him to take with his assistants after their meetings.
“To be clear, I never spent time with the victims, the women in his circle,” Gates said.
“It was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein and invite Gates Foundation executives to meet with a sex offender,” he said. “I apologize to the other people who were dragged into this because of my mistake.”
Gates said he had met with Epstein since 2011, years after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor. Gates said he was aware of an “18-month period” that restricted Epstein’s travel but did not properly check his background. He continued to meet with Epstein even after his wife, Melinda French Gates, expressed concern in 2013.
“Knowing what I know now, the situation is a hundred times worse, not only in terms of his past crimes, but also because it’s now clear that he continued to engage in illegal activities,” Gates told staff. Referring to his ex-wife, he added, “To her credit, she was always somewhat skeptical about the Epstein case.”
He told employees that he continued to meet with Epstein throughout 2014, flying with him on a private jet and spending time with him in Germany, France, New York, and Washington. “I never stayed overnight or visited Epstein’s island,” he assured them.
Epstein “talked about his close relationships with many billionaires, especially Wall Street billionaires,” Gates said, adding that Epstein could help raise money for causes such as global health.
Because other influential people were present at these meetings, Gates said, it “made me feel more comfortable that the situation was normal.” He acknowledged that his connection to Epstein may have helped the sex offender improve his reputation.
Gates acknowledged that his ties to Epstein, as well as recently released emails from Justice Department archives, have cast a shadow on the Gates Foundation and his reputation.
“It’s inconsistent with the Foundation’s values and goals. Our work is very sensitive to reputation.
People can choose whether or not to work with us,” the billionaire said.
A Gates Foundation representative said Gates meets with the public twice a year, adding that he “spoke candidly, answered several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions.”
Among the recently released emails were two messages that Epstein sent to himself in July 2013. They appear to be drafts of a resignation letter from Gates’s then-science advisor, Boris Nikolic. The second letter mentioned Gates’s “marital conflict” and stated that the author had facilitated “illegal relationships.”
At a meeting with voters, Gates spoke candidly about his personal life and admitted to cheating on his wife with Russian women.
“I had affairs. One was with a Russian woman who was a professional bridge player. I met her at bridge tournaments. I also had an affair with a Russian scientist, a nuclear physicist whom I met in the business world,” he told his staff.
Gates stated that Nikolic, who was close to both him and Epstein, knew about these affairs and told Epstein about them. The physicist worked at one of Gates’s companies, though it’s unclear if the affair occurred while she was employed there.