Recently released Justice Department files have exposed a series of emails in which the late, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein savaged Microsoft founder Bill Gates over his alleged treatment of a former lover. In the correspondence, Epstein claimed that, despite Gates's vast fortune, he refused to financially support his Russian mistress, leaving her penniless and sleeping on a friend's sofa.
The messages suggest Epstein was weaponising what he knew to gain leverage over the billionaire. The court documents outline a troubling story of conflict and potential blackmail, offering fresh insight into what may have been happening between the two men before Epstein's death in 2019.
The Penniless Bridge Player And Demands For Repayment
Epstein directed his criticisms towards Gates in an email sent to Gates's adviser, Boris Nikolic, in 2017. In the correspondence, Epstein expressed disbelief at Gates's financial austerity regarding a woman he referred to as a 'former bridge girl and toy'.
He stated, 'The richest man in the world is so cheap, his former bridge girl and toy (sic), lives on a friends sofa. . WOWO.' Furthermore, Epstein posited that the scandal surrounding this situation would be significant enough to 'take trump off the front pages'.
The woman in question is reportedly Mila Antonova, a Russian bridge player who is 30 years younger than Gates. According to The Wall Street Journal, the two allegedly engaged in an affair beginning in 2013, when Antonova was in her twenties.
The situation escalated when Epstein personally financed a software coding course for Antonova. The documents allege that Epstein subsequently demanded that Gates reimburse him for the educational expenses. This demand for repayment has been widely interpreted as an explicit attempt at blackmail.
Epstein's Portrait Of Hardship, Illness And 'Friend Bill'
Within the typo-laden emails, Epstein continued to detail Antonova's financial difficulties. The convicted sex offender noted that the 'former bridge girl' possessed 'little money' and had directly appealed to him for financial assistance, which he claimed to have provided, stating, 'I sent her some.' Epstein further disparaged his 'friend bill', describing his behaviour as 'nuts'. He elaborated on the woman's precarious living situation, writing: 'His former girl...cant afford air con, , cant affrod (sic) to travel to bridge.'
The newly released files contain further inflammatory allegations regarding Gates's personal life. Other correspondence between the two men includes claims by Epstein that Gates contracted a sexually transmitted disease from 'Russian girls'. The documents suggest that Epstein alleged Gates sought antibiotics from him to secretly administer to his then-wife, Melinda French Gates.
Gates has vehemently denied these accusations. In his first interview following the document release, the billionaire categorised the claims as 'absolutely absurd and completely false.' He specifically addressed the email detailing the STD allegations, asserting, 'Apparently, Jeffrey wrote an email to himself.
That email was never sent. The email is false.' Gates also reiterated his regret regarding his association with Epstein, stating, 'Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologise that I did that.'
Bill Gates Apologizes for Epstein Ties, Admits to Two Affairs in Foundation Town Hall.
— JAS (@JasADRxquisites) February 25, 2026
Seattle, February 25, 2026 — Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates apologized to Gates Foundation staff during a town hall meeting on Tuesday for his past association with convicted sex offender… pic.twitter.com/cCfxzWLujS
Melinda French Gates Addresses The Growing Scandal
Melinda French Gates has publicly commented on the emerging details, indicating that her former husband must address the allegations himself. Speaking on an NPR podcast, she stated, 'I'm so happy to be away from all the muck.' She acknowledged that the current scandal brought back memories of 'very, very painful' periods during her 27-year marriage to the tech tycoon.
She maintained that she could not answer the questions raised by the documents, stating, 'Whatever questions remain there of what – I can't even begin to know all of it – those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband.' She firmly concluded, 'They need to answer to those things, not me.'
The couple finalised their divorce in 2021, and Melinda has previously cited Gates's relationship with Epstein, as well as his affairs, as contributing factors to their separation.
The allegations remain unverified, and Gates has strongly denied them. A spokesperson for Gates stated that the documents merely illustrate Epstein's 'frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame.'
The spokesperson emphasised that Gates's inclusion in the files does not imply criminal activity and that he has never been accused of wrongdoing by any of Epstein's victims.
