Bill Gates Reveals Identities of Two Russian Women Used by Jeffrey Epstein for Blackmail

During a deposition before the U.S. Congress, Microsoft founder Bill Gates revealed the identities of two Russian women with whom he had extramarital affairs. It was these relationships that the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein later attempted to use as leverage to blackmail the billionaire. The deposition transcripts were made public on Tuesday, The New York Post reports.

The House Oversight Committee questioned Gates regarding the "blackmail attempt" orchestrated by Epstein. The billionaire's infidelity was previously discovered by his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, and earlier this year, the tech mogul themselves confessed to the affairs in front of staff members at his charitable foundation.

Gates testified that Epstein had acquired verified information regarding his romances with two Russian citizens: bridge player Mila Antonova and nuclear scientist Karima Nigmatulina.

The Draft Email: Drugs, Adderall, and Secret Rendezvous

The attempt to gain leverage over one of the world's richest men first came to light through a draft email authored by Epstein. The document was released by the U.S. Department of Justice in January. The letter was written as if penned by Boris Nikolic, Gates's science advisor, who was preparing to step down from his position at the time.

"Even though it has been gently suggested to me that I transition to a new role after six years of service and have been promised a generous exit package, I feel I would be being dishonest to myself and my future if I remained silent. I helped Bill obtain drugs to cope with the aftermath of sex with Russian girls, facilitated his illicit dates with married women, and I was even asked to procure Adderall for bridge tournaments," the draft email read.

The philanthropist characterized the text as a "blackmail attempt," although in other parts of the deposition, he tried to downplay the severity of the threat.

"Who knows if he ever sent it to Dr. Nikolic," Gates testified. "But it appears Epstein was brainstorming how to use a mixture of facts and lies to strengthen Nikolic’s negotiating position during his exit."

Gates also viewed Epstein’s subsequent demands—asking Gates to reimburse the financial expenses Epstein incurred while funding Antonova's education—as "either blackmail or an attempt to re-establish a relationship with me."

The billionaire reiterated that he had no knowledge of Epstein's underlying criminal enterprise involving pedophilia, but admitted he associated with the financier between 2011 and 2014 strictly to advance his global philanthropic initiatives.

Divorce and Accusations of 'Over 20 Affairs'

In February, the Microsoft co-founder admitted to the staff of the Gates Foundation that he had been involved in two extramarital relationships. However, according to insiders, during his divorce proceedings from Melinda French Gates, the billionaire was hit with allegations of having over 20 affairs outside the marriage.

Democrats on the Oversight Committee also released photographs recovered from Epstein's estate archives, showing Gates standing next to women whose faces were redacted with black blocks.