Bill Gates Confronts Past Affairs with Physicist and Bridge Player in Bombshell Foundation Town Hall

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates addressed staff in a candid February 2026 town hall, admitting to past affairs with a physicist and a bridge player while navigating renewed investigation into his ties with Jeffrey Epstein.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 4, 2026, 6:01 AM EST

Source: People

The Confession: "I Did Have Affairs"

Addressing a room full of foundation staff, Gates admitted that the rumors circulating in the wake of newly released Department of Justice documents were true. "I did have affairs," Gates told the assembly. He specified that he met one woman, identified as a nuclear physicist, through business engagements, and another, Mila Antonova, at competitive bridge events around 2010. While he was frank about the infidelity, he was adamant that these relationships were consensual and unrelated to the illegal activities associated with Jeffrey Epstein, though he acknowledged that Epstein later learned of them.

Renewed Scrutiny Over the "Epstein Files"

The timing of Gates’ confession coincides with the 2026 release of the so-called "Epstein Files"—a trove of documents and photos released by the DOJ as part of an ongoing investigation into the late financier’s network. The documents included draft emails in which Epstein allegedly attempted to leverage his knowledge of Gates' personal life to secure financial support for his own projects. Gates reiterated that his association with Epstein was a "huge mistake," specifically regretting the impact it has had on the reputation of the Gates Foundation. "I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made," he stated.

Microsoft's Historic Investigation Re-Examined

The 2026 revelations have cast a new light on Microsoft’s 2019-2020 investigation into Gates. At the time, the board hired a law firm to look into a separate romantic relationship with a Microsoft employee that dated back to the year 2000. While a spokeswoman for Gates claimed in 2021 that his departure from the board was unrelated to the probe, the new confessions suggest a broader pattern of behavior that was being scrutinized behind closed doors. The town hall marked the first time Gates has directly addressed multiple relationships in front of his professional peers.