The statements were made during an internal meeting with employees of the Gates Foundation, where the tycoon addressed both his personal life and his links with Epstein, who died in 2019. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Gates crossed paths with him on several occasions and even traveled on his private plane, although he denied any involvement in illicit behavior.
"I did nothing illegal. I did not see anything illegal," Gates told the staff. "To be clear, I never spent time with the victims, the women around him."
The businessman also acknowledged errors in judgment in maintaining contact with Epstein, even after his conviction in 2008. "I thought he would help me with global health philanthropy. In fact, he did not. It was a serious mistake," he admitted, referring to his initial expectations regarding possible collaboration.
During his intervention, Gates also confirmed that he had extramarital affairs while still married to French Gates, with whom he married in 1994 and divorced in 2021 after 27 years of relationship. "I had love affairs, one with a Russian bridge player I met at bridge events, and another with a Russian nuclear physicist I met through business activities," he acknowledged.
One of those relationships would have been with the Russian bridge player Mila Antonova, whom he met at a tournament in 2010. According to previous reports, Epstein also later met Antonova and even financially supported her in her computer programming education.
Gates stated that his personal decisions had consequences beyond his private life, especially within the scope of his foundation. "I apologize to other people who were involved in this because of the mistake I made," he stated. "It is definitely contrary to the values of the Foundation and the Foundation's goals."
The businessman also acknowledged that his ex-wife always had reservations about his relationship with Epstein. "Credit must be given to her, but she always remained somewhat skeptical about the Epstein matter," he pointed out.
A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation confirmed that the businessman addressed the staff with transparency and took responsibility for his actions. Despite the apologies, the revelations once again bring attention to the tycoon's personal decisions in the years leading up to his divorce and his relationship with one of the most controversial figures of recent decades.