The extensive financial support Jeffrey Epstein provided to Mila Antonova, a Russian bridge player who reportedly had a relationship with Bill Gates around 2010, became a recurring point of pressure in Epstein’s communications with Gates’ inner circle. Documents released by the Department of Justice detail how Epstein not only housed Antonova in his Upper East Side apartments but also wired her cash, organized her visa, and funded her coding education over several years. This assistance, Epstein later implied, was rendered at Gates’ implicit request, forming the basis for his persistent demands for repayment.
Epstein’s correspondence reveals a calculated effort to leverage Antonova’s situation. In an April 30, 2018 email to Larry Cohen, Gates’ chief of staff, Epstein casually mentioned having put Antonova up in New York for a week, adding the cryptic phrase, “Playing with fire.” This was not an isolated incident; Epstein had been providing Antonova with financial aid since at least 2013. He frequently invoked the “sanctity of friendship” in his appeals to Cohen, quoting what he claimed were Gates’ own words from years prior: “If you can help push this out three years that should be enough.” Epstein argued that this three-year period had elapsed, during which he had paid for Antonova’s schooling and visa, noting her precarious living situation on a friend’s couch.
Antonova, through her lawyer, stated she was unaware of Epstein’s attempts to pressure Gates and did not offer any services or information in exchange for his support, believing his help was genuine. She met Gates at a bridge tournament in 2009 and maintained a relationship with him for a period. Her last contact with Gates reportedly occurred in May 2013, around the time Boris Nikolic, then Gates’ chief science adviser, inquired about Antonova’s visa status, describing her as a Russian friend who had “overextended her stay.” Nikolic, a frequent correspondent of Epstein, later acknowledged that “Mila happened” the day before he emailed an immigration attorney regarding her situation.
Epstein’s efforts to secure reimbursement intensified over time. By mid-2016, Gates had ceased direct communication with Epstein, filtering all exchanges through Cohen, whom Epstein distrusted and referred to as “Melinda’s boy.” Despite this, Epstein continued to use Antonova as a conduit to Gates, messaging Nikolic in June 2016 to “tell your boy that I still hear from Mila. I put her through computer school.” A year later, Antonova herself wrote to Epstein, expressing gratitude for his and Nikolic’s help in creating an opportunity for her to grow, even as she described living on a friend’s couch in Palo Alto.
The day after Antonova’s grateful email, Epstein contacted Cohen, claiming he had heard from an “old friend” of Gates and intended to continue spending money on “his old friend,” but had received neither thanks nor reimbursement. He set a deadline for Cohen to respond, intensifying his demands when he felt ignored. In July 2017, a frustrated Epstein confided in Nikolic, remarking on Gates’ apparent stinginess regarding “his former girl,” contrasting it with his vast wealth. The pressure campaign continued into 2019, with Epstein directly emailing Gates in January, suggesting it was time for reimbursement and later requesting a meeting.
Five months before his arrest for sex trafficking minors in 2019, Epstein was still attempting to extract funds from Gates. A spokesperson for Gates has consistently maintained that he regrets meeting Epstein, emphasizing how Epstein relentlessly sought to insert himself into Gates’ life, even after Gates stopped communicating with him. The spokesperson clarified that Gates never witnessed or engaged in any illicit behavior. The complex web of financial support and the subsequent demands from Epstein illustrate a persistent, manipulative strategy aimed at leveraging personal connections for his own benefit.
