Bill Gates apologized to staff at the Gates Foundation over his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein and infidelity in his marriage. According to a foundation spokesperson cited by Reuters, Gates held a meeting where he answered questions about newly released documents related to the Epstein case. Gates acknowledged having extramarital affairs, two relationships with “Russian women,” which Epstein later became aware of. He stressed that the women were not victims of Epstein. “I did have affairs, one with a Russian bridge player I met at a tournament, and another with a Russian nuclear physicist I met through work,” Gates said. He also stated that between 2011 and 2014 he flew on Epstein’s private jet and spent time with him, but “never stayed overnight and never visited Epstein’s island.” Gates described his association with Epstein as “a huge mistake.” Regarding photos released by the U.S. Department of Justice, Gates said the women pictured with him were Epstein’s assistants and that Epstein had asked him to take the photos with them.