Bill Gates admitted behind closed doors that he had extramarital affairs with Russian women. What the foundation that bears his name says after the new revelations in the Epstein case
Bill Gates, pictured on December 9, 2025 in the US Senate, where he participated in discussions on global public health issues, PHOTO: Nathan Posner / AFP / Profimedia Images
Bill Gates “took responsibility for his actions” regarding his relationship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a town hall meeting with Gates Foundation employees, a spokesman for the philanthropy told Reuters.
The spokesman's comments, in a written statement, came in response to an article published by The Wall Street Journal that Gates had apologized to foundation staff for his ties to Epstein during a meeting.
Documents released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) show that Gates and Epstein met repeatedly after the American financier was convicted in 2008 of soliciting an underage prostitute. The fact that the Microsoft founder maintained amicable relations with Epstein was known for some time, information in this regard appeared in the American press after Bill and Melinda Gates announced in 2021 that they would divorce after 27 years of marriage.
But new documents released by the DOJ and a US congressional committee also included photos of the Microsoft founder posing with women whose faces are blurred out. Gates has previously said that his relationship with Epstein was limited to discussions of philanthropy and that it was a mistake to meet him.
Bill Gates emphasized to his employees that he did nothing illegal
According to The Wall Street Journal article, Gates told employees of his philanthropy that it was a “huge mistake” to spend time with Epstein and involve Gates Foundation executives in meetings with the sex offender. The financial publication cited a recording of statements made by Gates during the meeting.
“I apologize to other people who were drawn into this situation because of the mistake I made,” he told the WSJ.
The Journal added that Gates also admitted to having two extramarital affairs with women in Russia that Epstein later discovered, but that they did not involve Epstein's victims.
“I didn't do anything illegal. I didn't see anything illegal,” Gates allegedly told employees, according to the account.
According to the WSJ, Gates told foundation employees that the images were photos that Epstein asked him to take with his nurses after their meetings.
“To be clear, I never spent time with the victims, with the women around him,” Gates allegedly added, according to the report.
Bill Gates had sex with Russian women while married to Melinda, and secretly medicated himself, according to Epstein files / Billionaire reaction
The Gates Foundation says it never used the services of Jeffrey Epstein
A spokesman for the Gates Foundation told Reuters that Gates attended a scheduled meeting with employees and answered questions on a wide range of topics, including the release of the Epstein files.
“In the meeting, Bill spoke openly, addressed several questions in detail and took responsibility for his actions,” it added.
Earlier this month, the Gates Foundation said it had made no financial payments to Epstein and had never used his financial consulting services.
The Gates Foundation, chaired by Bill Gates and founded by him and his ex-wife in 2000, is one of the largest funders of global health initiatives.
