Bill Gates Admits to Affairs With Russian Women Amid Epstein Ties, WSJ Reports

Bill Gates just dropped a bombshell ... the Microsoft cofounder has reportedly 'fessed up to having affairs with Russian women while married to his now-former wife, Melinda.

Gates made the admission Tuesday, telling his staff the shocking news during a town hall meeting of the Seattle-based Gates Foundation, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Gates dropped the stunning revelation ... admitting to having affairs with a "Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events" and a "Russian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities."

Gates said Jeffrey Epstein later discovered the affairs ... but to be clear, the women did not involve Epstein victims, according to the WSJ report. As you know, Gates has been dogged by his association with convicted pedophile Epstein over the years ... and it's all coming to a head with the recent release of the Epstein Files. Gates apologized for his association with Epstein Tuesday.

During his foundation speech, Gates said he hung out with Epstein in the U.S. and overseas and even flew with the late financier on his personal jet, the WSJ reports.

But, Gates insists he "did nothing illicit" and "saw nothing illicit” ... adding, “To be clear, I never spent any time with the victims, the women around him.”

BTW, in the Epstein Files, there was an email JE appeared to send to himself, talking about Bill getting an STD and the "consequences of sex with russian girls."

When asked about it by 9 News Australia earlier this month, Bill said, "The email is false. I don't know what his thinking was there."

Gates first linked up with Epstein in 2011, three years after the pedophile was convicted in Florida for procuring a child for prostitution. Gates continued his friendly relationship with Epstein despite Melinda's disgust over their connection.