Nearly five years after Bill Gates acknowledged cheating on his former spouse, Melinda Gates, the details of his infidelity have resurfaced.
During a recent meeting, the 70-year-old Microsoft co-founder admitted, somewhat candidly, to having “had affairs” with two women from Russia throughout their 27 years of marriage, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
He explained one was with a Russian bridge player he met at a bridge event, and the other was a nuclear physicist encountered through business interactions.
Interestingly, while addressing his staff, Bill also expressed his regret regarding his connections to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, emphasizing he had “done nothing illegal” during their travels together, both in the U.S. and internationally.
He was quite firm in stating, “To be clear, I have never spent time with the victim or any of the women around her,” trying to distance himself from the scandal.
Although Gates didn’t mention the names of the women involved, previously, the Wall Street Journal had reported on his relationship with a bridge player named Mila Antonova, which came to light in 2023.
Melinda, now 61, did not provide any immediate comments regarding Bill’s revelations.
On a positive note, Bill acknowledged Melinda’s skepticism about the Epstein situation, which he seemed to view as insightful.
While he didn’t specifically identify any affairs linked to Melinda, rumors circulated that Epstein threatened to expose Bill’s affair with Antonova, whom he first met in 2010, according to reports.
Bill and Melinda tied the knot in 1994 and share three children: Jennifer, 29, Rory, 26, and Phoebe, 23.
The timing of Bill’s admission seems significant, given it coincided with his apology regarding his past with Epstein, whose past interactions continue to haunt many.
After their divorce in 2021, confirmed by Bill through his representative, he noted an affair with a Microsoft employee from nearly 20 years ago.
In subsequent interviews, Melinda dodged questions about Bill’s potential infidelities, playfully saying, “These are the questions Bill has to answer.”
After their split, Bill began dating Paula Heard, while Melinda is now involved with businessman Philip Vaughan.
In a contentious moment during a Today show interview, Bill was vague yet introspective about past mistakes, stating, “I certainly made a mistake, and the responsibility is mine.”
