How Jeffrey Epstein 'tried unsuccessfully' to blackmail Bill Gates over an affair: report

Jeffrey Epstein unsuccessfully tried to blackmail Bill Gates after discovering the Microsoft billionaire had an affair with a Russian bride player, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports.

Per WSJ, Gates "has said he met Epstein a few times only to discuss philanthropy, which he regrets and calls a mistake."

Gates connected with Mila Antonova, the bridge player, "around 2010, when she was in her 20s," and "Epstein met her in 2013," before paying "for her to attend software coding school," according to the news outlet.

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Furthermore, the convicted sex offender asked Gates in 2017 if he'd reimburse him "for the cost of the course, according to the people familiar with the matter."

Mila Antonova, the Russian bridge player commented on Epstein saying, "I had no idea that he was a criminal or had any ulterior motive. I just thought he was a successful businessman and wanted to help."

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

A spokeswoman for the tech founder told WSJ, "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."

Epstein died in 2019 by suicide in jail while awaiting trial.

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The Wall Street Journal's full report is available at this link (subscription required).