He was musing on using facts and falsities as blackmail
Gates acknowledged affairs with two Russian women and a medical entrepreneur, stating Epstein knew about two relationships and may have contemplated blackmail. A 2013 Epstein email draft appeared to reference Gates' personal life as potential leverage, though Gates maintains their meetings focused on philanthropy and donor connections.
- Gates admitted to affairs with two Russian women (Mila Antonova, Karima Nigmatulina) and medical entrepreneur Alice Jacobs Nesselrodt
- Epstein knew about two of the three affairs
- A 2013 Epstein email draft referenced Gates' personal life as potential leverage
- Gates met Epstein 12-14 times over four years; Epstein never successfully blackmailed him
- Gates Foundation announced external review of past Epstein interactions
Bill Gates admitted to three affairs during congressional testimony and claimed Jeffrey Epstein attempted to use knowledge of his infidelities to blackmail him, though Gates denies the scheme succeeded.
Bill Gates sat for a closed-door session with the US House Oversight Committee on June 10 and disclosed details about his personal life that had remained private until now. He admitted to three affairs—two with Russian women, one with a medical entrepreneur—and acknowledged that Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in jail in 2019, knew about at least two of them.
The Microsoft co-founder named the women involved: Mila Antonova, a bridge player, and Karima Nigmatulina, a nuclear physicist, both Russian nationals. He also identified a third relationship with Alice Jacobs Nesselrodt, a medical entrepreneur. Gates told lawmakers that these relationships caused real damage to his family, but he was clear about one thing: they had nothing to do with his business dealings with Epstein.
What concerned Gates more was what Epstein may have been planning to do with that knowledge. Gates said he believed Epstein contemplated using information about his infidelities as leverage—mixing facts with lies to pressure him back into a relationship. A 2013 email draft written by Epstein appeared to reference Gates' personal life and his former employee Boris Nikolic in ways that suggested blackmail potential. Gates described it as Epstein "musing on using a mixture of facts and falsities as an effort, almost like a blackmail, to advance some goal." But Gates was careful to note that Epstein never actually followed through. "He never blackmailed me, but looking at these emails, it raises a serious probability that he contemplated blackmailing me," Gates said.
The testimony also touched on the nature of Gates' relationship with Epstein itself. Gates said they met somewhere between 12 and 14 times over a four-year period, with two video calls mixed in. Epstein's pitch was consistent: he could connect Gates with wealthy donors for philanthropic work. None of those promised connections materialized. Gates acknowledged that continuing to meet with Epstein after his 2008 conviction was a mistake, but he framed it as a calculated risk. "I know he was convicted. I knew about that. I was willing to take a chance on meeting with him in a limited role," he said.
Lawmakers also pressed Gates on claims in Epstein-related documents suggesting he had worried about contracting a sexually transmitted infection. Gates flatly denied this. He said he never had an STD and never covertly provided medication to anyone. "I may have indicated some concern about whether I had an STD; I don't recall that. But I never had an STD," he said.
The congressional examination of Epstein's network has widened beyond Gates. The Gates Foundation announced it would conduct an external review of its past interactions with Epstein, prompted by emails that showed communication between Epstein and some foundation staff members. The review signals that the foundation is taking seriously the need to understand how thoroughly Epstein had embedded himself in Gates' professional and philanthropic circles. As lawmakers continue to map Epstein's associations and the documents continue to surface, the full scope of his influence on Gates' life—and the lives of others in his orbit—remains a subject of active investigation.
Notable Quotes
These affairs had nothing to do with my interactions with Epstein, but they were painful for my family. Epstein was working to use information about my infidelities to pressure me to re-engage with him.— Bill Gates, in congressional testimony
He never blackmailed me, but looking at these emails, it raises a serious probability that he contemplated blackmailing me.— Bill Gates, in congressional testimony
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Gates need to admit to affairs now, decades later? What changed?
The congressional investigation into Epstein's network forced the issue. Lawmakers had documents—emails, testimony—that referenced these relationships. Gates could either confirm them himself or let the record speak for him. Silence would have looked worse.
So Epstein knew about the affairs. How did he find out?
Gates doesn't say in the testimony. But Epstein was a man who collected information about powerful people. It was part of how he operated—knowing things others wanted hidden. Whether he learned it through direct observation, mutual acquaintances, or his own investigation, we don't know.
Gates says Epstein never actually blackmailed him. Does that matter?
It matters legally, certainly. But the fact that Epstein *contemplated* it—that he drafted emails testing the idea—shows intent. It shows Epstein was thinking about how to use Gates' vulnerabilities. That's the real story: not what Epstein did, but what he was willing to consider.
Why would Gates keep meeting with Epstein after his conviction?
Gates says it was about donor connections for his foundation. But that's also the cover story Epstein used with everyone. He was always offering access, opportunity, connections. For someone like Gates, the promise of unlocking new philanthropic channels would have been appealing. The risk seemed worth it—until it wasn't.
What does the external review of the Gates Foundation actually accomplish?
It's damage control, partly. But it's also necessary. If Epstein had relationships with foundation staff, if he was in those rooms, then the foundation needs to know what he heard, what he saw, what he might have learned. Trust, once broken, requires transparency to rebuild.