Bill Gates has publicly addressed his controversial association with Jeffrey Epstein, calling it “a huge mistake” and acknowledging the fallout it caused in his personal life, including his divorce from Melinda Gates.
“In retrospect, I was foolish to spend any time with him,” Gates admitted during an interview with The Wall Street Journal. The Microsoft co-founder said he initially believed the relationship could benefit his global health philanthropy efforts. “I think I was quite stupid. It failed to do that. It was just a huge mistake.”
Epstein, a convicted child sex offender, died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges. Gates said the experience has made him more cautious about forming new connections, reflecting on the broader consequences of their interactions.
Reports from The Wall Street Journal also reveal that Epstein had threatened to expose Gates’ alleged affair with Russian bridge player Mila Antonova in 2017 after Gates declined to participate in a charitable fund Epstein was spearheading with JPMorgan Chase. Epstein had reportedly paid for Antonova to attend a software coding school and used the connection as leverage against Gates.
Gates admitted to the affair, which occurred during his marriage to Melinda Gates. In a 2022 interview on CBS Mornings, Melinda disclosed that her ex-husband’s relationship with Epstein contributed to their 2021 divorce after 27 years of marriage. “I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no. I made that clear to him,” she said, recalling her own regrettable encounter with Epstein, whom she described as “abhorrent” and “evil personified.”
Bill Gates has called the divorce the “mistake” he regrets most, telling The Times of London, “The divorce thing was miserable for me and Melinda for at least two years. There are others [mistakes], but none that matter.”
Despite their separation, Bill and Melinda have maintained an amicable relationship, focusing on co-parenting their three children: Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 22. Both have since moved on, with Melinda dating entrepreneur Philip Vaughn and Bill in a relationship with Paula Hurd.