past affair with a Russian woman, Mila Antonova, in 2010. Epstein allegedly attempted to pressure Gates into investing in a multi-billion-dollar charity fund in 2013, using the affair as leverage when Gates declined. In 2023, it was revealed that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein tried to blackmail Bill Gates over a Gates' spokesperson confirmed he only met with Epstein for philanthropic reasons and that Epstein tried unsuccessfully to exploit their relationship. Gates later admitted in an interview that meeting Epstein was a mistake, calling it “foolish” and acknowledging he thought it would help his global health philanthropy, which it ultimately did not. Gates had met Epstein multiple times, including at his Manhattan townhouse, and in a 2011 email, he described Epstein’s lifestyle as intriguing but not for him. Gates later clarified his comments, stating he was only referring to Epstein’s unusual décor, not approving of his lifestyle.