Jeffrey Epstein Called Bill Gates 'So Cheap' Over Alleged Ties With Russian Bridge Player: Report

Last Updated:February 05, 2026, 09:31 IST

Fresh reports surrounding Jeffrey Epstein claims the sex offender mocked Bill Gates in emails over the latter's alleged treatment of Russian bridge player Mila Antonova.

Jeffrey Epstein/ Bill Gates with Mila Antonova (File photos: AP)

The controversy surrounding revelations about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has deepened, as a new report has claimed that Epstein once derided Gates as “cheap" over the billionaire’s alleged treatment of Russian bridge player Mila Antonova.

The report comes as millions of pages of files tied to Epstein have been released by the US Department of Justice, drawing renewed media scrutiny and reactions from Gates and his former wife, Melinda French Gates.

The Daily Mail cited a 2017 email and reported that Epstein wrote to Gates adviser Boris Nikolic claiming that Antonova, who allegedly dated Gates around 2010, was struggling financially.

“She said she had little money, couldn’t afford [an] air conditioner, and was living on a friend’s couch. Really needed money," Epstein wrote, adding that he had “sent her some" funds.

In the same message, Epstein sharply criticised Gates, telling Nikolic, “Your friend Bill is nuts. His former girl can’t afford air con, can’t afford to travel to bridge."

He concluded with an even starker remark, “The richest man in the world is so cheap, his former bridge girl and toy lives on a friend’s sofa. WOWO."

“That story would take Donald Trump off the front pages," Epstein wrote.

The report added that Nikolic had introduced Antonova to Epstein in 2013, after which Epstein paid for her to attend a software-coding class.

He later emailed Gates demanding reimbursement for that cost.

At the time of the alleged relationship, Gates was still married to Melinda French Gates.

The report also referred to purported links between Antonova and former Kremlin spy Anna Chapman.

EPSTEIN’S EARLIER EMAILS HAD REVEALED BILL GATES CAUGHT STD

Epstein had previously made explosive claims about Gates in draft emails from 2013.

The sex offender had alleged that Gates had asked aides to procure medication to deal with sexually transmitted diseases, which Epstein described as consequences of “sex with Russian girls."

The drafts also spoke of marital discord between Gates and his then-wife and included accusations that Nikolic had been asked to facilitate affairs and provide drugs for bridge tournaments.

Epstein allegedly threatened in 2017 to expose Gates’ connection to Antonova after the billionaire declined to join a proposed charitable fund involving JPMorgan Chase.

However, later, a Gates spokesperson dismissed the allegations as “absolutely absurd and completely false," reiterating that any interactions with Epstein were unrelated to wrongdoing and that Gates ultimately refused to back the financier’s project, which did not go ahead.

MELINDA GATES REACTS TO REVELATIONS SURROUNDING BILL GATES

Melinda French Gates spoke publicly about the disclosures, saying she felt “unbelievable sadness" after reviewing new material concerning her former husband’s ties with Epstein.

In a preview of an interview for NPR, she said, “Whatever questions remain there of what, I can’t even begin to know all of it. Those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me."

She added she was “happy to be away from all the muck," while acknowledging that the revelations revived “very, very painful times in my marriage."

Melinda also emphasised the suffering of Epstein’s victims, telling the podcast that what the girls endured was “beyond heartbreaking" and “unimaginable."

Meanwhile, CNN reported that Gates himself responded in an interview with Australia’s Nine News, saying one of the incriminating emails was never sent and was false.

“Every minute I spent with him I regret, and I apologise that I did that," Gates said, adding, “It’s factually true that I was only at dinners. I never went to the island. I never met any women," Gates said.

UNCENSORED NUDES, NAMES OF VICTIMS IN EPSTEIN FILES

According to the Associated Press, the Justice Department’s massive release of Epstein-related material has been marred by widespread failures to properly redact sensitive information.

Nude photos, the names and faces of alleged abuse victims, and even bank account and Social Security numbers appeared in the documents, despite legal requirements that such details be blacked out.

Police reports identifying victims who had never spoken publicly were released without redactions, while some photos were only partially obscured.

One topless image remained visible online even after officials attempted corrections, the report mentioned.

Lawyers for accusers called on authorities to take down the database and appoint an independent monitor, while the Justice Department blamed technical and human errors and said it was republishing properly redacted versions.

The cache represents the largest public disclosure yet in the years-long investigations into Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.

News world Jeffrey Epstein Called Bill Gates 'So Cheap' Over Alleged Ties With Russian Bridge Player: Report

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