Is that story about Bill Gates and of the Russian model true?
Executive summary
The explosive headlines trace to draft notes and emails from Jeffrey Epstein — some self-addressed — that allege Bill Gates contracted a sexually transmitted infection after encounters with “Russian girls” and that Epstein threatened to expose an alleged relationship with Russian bridge player Mila Antonova; those documents were included in a large Department of Justice release and reported by multiple outlets [1] [2] [3]. Bill Gates and his spokesperson have categorically denied the allegations, calling them “absurd” and framing the documents as Epstein’s attempts to entrap or defame, and there is no independent public evidence in the documents proving the medical or sexual claims [4] [5] [6].
1. What the record actually contains: draft emails and notes authored or retained by Epstein
The publicized material consists largely of Epstein’s own notes and draft emails — including entries dated July 18, 2013 — in which he wrote that he had “helped Bill to get drugs, in order to deal with consequences of sex with Russian girls” and other sensational passages that read like a personal journal or self-memoir rather than corroborated third‑party reporting [2] [5] [1]. Multiple news organizations and the Justice Department’s release have highlighted that these are Epstein-originated documents and that some were drafts apparently addressed to or about Gates but not necessarily sent as formal communications [2] [3].
2. The specific allegations: STIs, drugs and an alleged affair with a Russian bridge player
Epstein’s drafts claim Gates sought antibiotics and other assistance connected to sexual encounters described as involving “Russian girls,” and separately the files revive prior reporting that Epstein threatened to expose an alleged relationship between Gates and bridge player Mila Antonova as leverage in 2017 [5] [7]. News coverage notes Epstein’s separate emails to bankers pitching a fund and attempting to portray himself as a Gates confidant, which contextualizes Epstein’s efforts to associate with and influence powerful people [7].
3. Gates’s response and the evidentiary gap
Gates’s spokespeople have publicly denied the substantive allegations, calling the claims “absolutely absurd and completely false,” and Gates himself has been quoted saying his interactions with Epstein were limited to dinners and that the documents reflect Epstein’s attempts to entrap and defame [4] [8] [6]. Importantly, the files as released do not contain independent medical records, contemporaneous third‑party corroboration, or direct admissions by Gates; major outlets and fact-checkers treating the documents stress that Epstein’s notes are unverified assertions by a convicted sex offender [5] [2].
4. Why reporting varies and what motivations to watch for
Coverage ranges from flat summaries of the document content to breathless headlines; some outlets emphasize sensational lines from Epstein’s drafts while others stress denials and the unverified nature of the material [1] [3] [4]. The context matters: Epstein had a documented pattern of leveraging relationships and drafting accusatory material, and Gates’s representatives point to that pattern as motive for fabrication or entrapment [7] [5]. Readers should note possible agendas on multiple sides — outlets chasing clicks, actors seeking to tarnish reputations, and legitimate public interest in scrutinizing ties between wealthy donors and a convicted sex offender [2] [7].
5. Bottom line: what can — and cannot — be concluded from the documents
The released Epstein files contain explicit, salacious claims about Bill Gates that originate in Epstein’s own drafts and notes and also describe threats to expose an alleged affair with a named Russian bridge player; those claims have been widely reported [2] [1] [7]. However, Gates and his spokesperson deny the allegations, and the documents themselves do not independently substantiate medical or sexual claims — they are unverified allegations authored by Epstein and should not be treated as proven fact without corroboration [4] [5]. In short: the story exists in Epstein’s files and is real as a set of allegations, but it is not established as true beyond Epstein’s assertions and Gates’s categorical denial [2] [6].