Bill Gates admits to affair with two Russian women amid Epstein files ties

He apologised for his ties to Epstein

Speaking on Tuesday in a town hall meeting, the Microsoft co-founder told his team at the Gates Foundation that he had made mistakes, but insisted he “did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” in relation to his friendship with Epstein.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Gates told staff: “I did have affairs, one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities."

This admission comes after a batch of the Epstein files were released in January which showed an email in which Epstein claimed Gates had caught a sexually transmitted infection after sleeping with "Russian girls".

The email also claimed Gates had asked Epstein for antibiotics he could “surreptitiously give” to his then-wife, Melinda.

A spokesperson for the billionaire said in January: “These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false.

“The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates, and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame.”

On 30 January, new photographs were released from the Epstein files of Gates posing with women whose faces had been redacted.

Gates claimed that Epstein had asked to take his pictures with his assistants after meetings.

He also distanced himself from the convicted paedophile as he addressed staff.

He said: "To be clear I never spent any time with victims, the women around him.

“It was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein”.

He apologised to those who were “drawn into this because of the mistake that I made”.

During his talk he also admitted to meeting Epstein after he had pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution.

He claimed he was aware of "some 18-month thing" which had limited Epstein's travel, but had not dug deeper.

He continued to meet with Epstein even after his wife at the time Melinda French Gates expressed concerns.

He reportedly told staff: “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.

“To give her credit, she was always kind of sceptical about the Epstein thing.”

Despite visiting Epstein in Germany, France, New York and Washington, he said he had never visited Epstein's island.