New York : Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told a US congressional panel that he had affairs with three women and claimed that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein may have considered blackmailing him over those relationships. The information came out during a US House Oversight Committee investigation into Epstein’s network and connections.
Gates appeared before the committee voluntarily on June 10.
During his testimony, he said Epstein knew about two of his affairs, one with bridge player Mila Antonova and another with nuclear physicist Karima Nigmatulina. Gates later acknowledged a third affair involving medical entrepreneur Alice Jacobs Nesselrodt. According to the testimony transcript released on Tuesday, Gates said the affairs were unrelated to his meetings with Epstein but were painful for his family.
Gates denied any involvement in Epstein’s criminal activities and said continuing to meet Epstein after his conviction was a mistake. He explained that most of their meetings focused on discussions about philanthropy and charitable projects. During questioning, Gates said he believed Epstein may have thought about blackmailing him but never actually did so.
Lawmakers also asked Gates about claims in Epstein-related documents suggesting he worried about having a sexually transmitted disease (STD) after an affair. Gates strongly denied ever having an STD or secretly providing medication to anyone. He said he may have discussed concerns about sexual health with Boris Nikolic, a former employee and mutual acquaintance of both Gates and Epstein, but maintained that the allegations were false.
According to Gates, Epstein repeatedly claimed he could introduce him to wealthy donors who might support charitable projects, but those promises never materialised. The released documents also included photographs of Gates with several women, though their identities were redacted. A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation said Gates had taken responsibility for his actions during an internal meeting with employees earlier this year.
Read Also : Hoodie, Hidden Identity and Call Records : How Cops Solved Pune Murder