What Does the Woman with Whom Bill Gates Allegedly Had a Relationship Look Like?

A billionaire's past has come back into focus, and one particular photo is at the center of it.

On February 24, 2026, The Wall Street Journal reported that Bill Gates addressed staff at the Gates Foundation about his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein and admitted to having two affairs with Russian women.

The town hall included candid remarks, apologies, and personal revelations that quickly renewed attention on one woman whose image had made headlines years ago.

A Candid Admission at the Foundation

During the internal meeting, Gates apologized for what he called a "huge mistake" in spending time with Epstein and bringing foundation executives into meetings with him, according to a recording seen by staff of the outlet.

"I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit," Gates clarified, while acknowledging that his association with Epstein damaged the reputation of the charitable foundation. He also stressed, "To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him."

Gates acknowledged that his meetings with Epstein began in 2011, several years following Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor. Despite Melinda French Gates expressing discomfort with the relationship in 2013, he continued these encounters until 2014.

But the Microsoft co-founder added that the photos in the files showing him with various women were simply pictures Epstein requested he take alongside his assistants.

"Knowing what I know now makes it, you know, a hundred times worse in terms of not only his crimes in the past, but now it's clear there was ongoing bad behavior," Gates told staff.

But there was another matter Gates revealed at this town hall, which is held twice a year. "I did have affairs, one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities," he explained.

That admission shifted the focus in a very specific direction.

The Leverage of Epstein

The freshly released emails from the Justice Department highlighted this chapter of Gates' history. These documents included draft resignation letters that pointed toward a conflict within his marriage and alleged that a third party had arranged secret, improper encounters for the Microsoft co-founder.

In a July 4, 2013, email to Boris Nikolic, Gates's then science adviser, Epstein wrote, "Bill risks going from richest man to biggest hypocrite, Melinda a laughing stock, pledges will disappear as a result [sic]." He also warned that the women involved "risk becoming overnight sensations."

The Wall Street Journal had revealed earlier this month that Epstein reportedly meddled in Nikolic's departure from Gates's private office, using these claims of Gates's infidelity as leverage during the negotiations.

Epstein also used Gates's affair with the Russian bridge player to threaten him into having more involvement with him.

Still, in the town hall, Gates told staff he stopped meeting Epstein after 2014, though the financier continued emailing him. The billionaire insisted that he didn't respond.

But he acknowledged flying on Epstein's private jet and meeting in places including Germany, France, New York, and Washington before then, while adding that he never stayed the night nor visited the infamous island.

Melinda French Gates Speaks Out

Just weeks earlier, on February 5, French Gates addressed her ex-husband's affairs and involvement with Epstein during an interview with NPR's Rachel Martin on "Wild Card."

"Well, let me say this. I think we're having a reckoning as a society, right?" she said in the interview. "No girl should ever be put in the situation that they were put in by Epstein and whatever was going on with all of the various people around him. No girl."

She continued explaining that because she was once that age, and her daughters were young at one point as well, revisiting those details remains personally difficult.

It was an awful time in her marriage, but she has moved on since. So, going back and answering questions about Epstein and her ex was not her job, according to her.

Martin also talked about some emails suggesting that Gates had even more affairs and that he had even contracted a sexually transmitted disease. He supposedly asked Epstein for medication for his then-wife.

When asked how she felt about that part, French Gates simply said, "Sad. Just unbelievable sadness. Unbelievable sadness, right?"

Because of all that baggage, she had to leave her marriage and her charitable foundation. But regarding the other women, she added, "And I hope there's some justice for those now women, right?"

Now, let's discover one of the women who was supposedly involved with Gates.

The Woman at the Center of the Story

For several years, reports have referenced a Russian bridge player named Mila Antonova.

In 2023, the New York Post shared a photo of Gates and Antonova, bringing a face to the allegations. They were seen standing side by side and smiling at the camera.

In the image, Antonova wore a blue and white floral tank top with thin straps. Her straight light brown hair was pulled back with a headband, giving her a youthful look.

Another image from the same post showed her in pigtails while using a microphone and wearing a very millennial outfit. These images themselves don't say much. Yet placed against the broader timeline, they feel striking.

How They Met

According to a separate Wall Street Journal report, Gates met Antonova around 2010 when she was in her 20s. The two connected over bridge, a card game the Microsoft co-founder has long said he loves and learned from his parents.

Antonova even spoke about meeting him in a 2010 video. "I didn't beat him, but I tried to kick him with my leg," she said, describing playing against Gates at a tournament.

At the time, she was building her own path. She had attended a university in Russia between 2000 and 2005, later founded a bridge club in the United States, and eventually transitioned into software engineering roles in the Bay Area.

Epstein's Involvement

The Journal reported that Epstein discovered the affair in 2013 and later appeared to use that knowledge to his advantage against Gates.

After struggling to persuade Gates to participate in a multibillion-dollar charitable fund, Epstein emailed him in 2017 asking to be reimbursed for software coding school tuition he had paid for Antonova.

According to people familiar with the matter, the implication was that Epstein could reveal the affair if Gates did not maintain an association.

A spokeswoman for Gates told the Journal, "Mr. Gates met with Epstein solely for philanthropic purposes. Having failed repeatedly to draw Mr. Gates beyond these matters, Epstein tried unsuccessfully to leverage a past relationship to threaten Mr. Gates."

Antonova, for her part, declined to comment on Gates but addressed her interaction with Epstein. "I had no idea that he was a criminal or had any ulterior motive," she said. "I just thought he was a successful businessman and wanted to help."

She added, "I am disgusted with Epstein and what he did."

BridgePlanet and the Tuition for a New Vision

Antonova previously sought financial backing for BridgePlanet, an online startup designed to provide high-quality bridge instruction for players of all skill levels.

She pitched the project to Epstein in November 2013, though he eventually declined to invest. A year later, she stayed briefly at a New York residence Epstein provided, though she clarified that she had no contact with him or anyone else during her stay.

After BridgePlanet failed to attract investors, Antonova shifted her focus to software programming. She explained that Epstein settled her tuition for a coding boot camp by paying the institution directly.

She also clarified that no exchange of favors occurred and expressed uncertainty regarding his motives for the gift. According to her, when she questioned his generosity, Epstein simply attributed it to his wealth and a desire to assist others whenever possible.

Those details add context. But it is the photos that linger.