Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, in a candid, deeply personal interview that shook the tech and philanthropic spheres, has made his most frank apology yet about his previous relationships with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The billionaire philanthropist also took to the platform to respond to long-running reports about a personal life affair with a Russian bridge player, casting those events as major personal sins.
Gates spoke with a leading news media outlet on February 25, 2026, and was open about the scrutiny that has dogged him since his 2021 divorce from Melinda French Gates. “I made a huge mistake,” Gates noted. “It was a mirage that I thought my philanthropy could benefit from those meetings, and for that, I’m truly sorry.”
The Epstein Connection and Its Resolution
The Gates-Epstein relationship has been widely speculated about for years. Gates emphasized again that his interactions with Epstein were solely motivated by the intent to raise funds for global health efforts; a goal he now believes was naive and misguided. “I thought I could obtain billions of dollars from him for global health by meeting him.
I didn’t understand that in giving him that credibility I was making a terrible judgment call,” Gates said. He stressed he has no social connection to Epstein and that their meetings were strictly professional, though he recognized the hurt and chaos the association caused his family and the public.
Reflections On Personal Conduct and Mila Antonova
The interview also hinted at disclosures of an affair with Mila Antonova, a Russian bridge player that Gates met in the early 2010s. There were reports that Epstein had tried to threaten Gates based on his knowledge of this affair. Though Gates held back on details of his private life, he admitted to making moral failings in judgment throughout that period.
The complicated nature of his private behavior, he added, was responsible for the difficult transition that he and his wife experienced during his divorce. “There are things I am not proud of, and I’ve had to do a lot of soul-searching to understand how I might be better,” Gates said, pointing to a shift toward a more transparent and introspective public persona.
Impact on the Gates Foundation
Despite the personal controversies, Gates remains steadfast in his dedication to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He said nothing of his personal "mistakes" will stop the organization from eradicating polio or combating climate change. The interview is a turning point for Gates as he tries to untangle his enormous philanthropy from the burdensome shadow of past associations.
For many, the apology is an important move toward accountability; for others, whether these disclosures should be taken at the right moment that speaks to him, the other end of the equation, particularly as he seeks to keep his hold on the world stage, still remains doubtful.
