During his tense June 10 appearance before the House Oversight Committee, Bill Gates walked a fine line between confession and defense. He acknowledged having affairs with three women: Russian bridge player Mila Antonova, nuclear scientist Karima Nigmatulina, and medical entrepreneur Dr. Alice Jacobs Nesselrodt.

However, Gates firmly insisted that Jeffrey Epstein never successfully blackmailed him over these relationships. Emails presented by investigators told a more complicated story, revealing that Epstein was actively probing for leverage.

Those documents showed Epstein documenting Gates’ relationships and even referencing Nesselrodt in a 2013 note to himself. The financier appeared to be gathering information that could potentially be used against the Microsoft co-founder.

Gates rejected the most explosive allegations against him. He denied claims that he contacted Epstein about a sexually transmitted disease after encounters with “Russian girls.”

He also maintained that he never discussed his affairs with Epstein or involved him in any way. The tech billionaire reiterated his regret for ever associating with the disgraced financier.

He called it a “huge mistake” and apologized to those pulled into the scandal. At the same time, he emphasized that he has not been accused of any crime.

Gates also made clear that he knew nothing about Epstein’s history of abuse. His testimony left many questions unanswered, but he remained firm in his denials while expressing deep remorse for his poor judgment.