Bill Gates' Russian Bridge Partner Photographed with Kremlin Spy Anna Chapman
A photograph has emerged showing Mila Antonova, the Russian bridge player with whom Bill Gates admitted having an affair, walking alongside notorious Kremlin spy Anna Chapman in New York. The image, obtained by the Daily Mail, captures the two women strolling through Manhattan, both smiling at the camera. This connection raises serious questions about Gates' awareness of Antonova's apparent links to Russian intelligence operatives.
Epstein's Knowledge and Gates' Connections
Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates publicly acknowledged this week that he had affairs with two Russian women following revelations from the Jeffrey Epstein files. One of these women was professional bridge player Mila Antonova. The Daily Mail investigation uncovered a 2010 email from Epstein to an acquaintance asking "did you know Anna Chapman the spy?" Gates' relationship with Antonova began in 2009, and emails reviewed by the Daily Mail show Epstein referencing the affair in correspondence.
The photograph shows Antonova, a strawberry blonde, walking with Chapman, the flame-haired Russian intelligence operative once nicknamed 'Agent 90-60-90' due to her body measurements. While there is no evidence of wrongdoing by Antonova, the connection has fueled speculation about how closely Epstein was monitoring developments surrounding Chapman and her associates.
Chapman's Background and Arrest
Anna Chapman, now believed to be around 44 years old, was part of a network of Russian spies living under deep cover in the United States. She moved to New York in 2009 from the United Kingdom, where she had obtained a UK passport through marriage to a British man. The FBI arrested Chapman in June 2010 alongside other Russian SVR intelligence agents, less than a year after Gates first met Antonova.
Chapman was later deported in a Cold War-style prisoner swap and subsequently built a fortune as a celebrity in Russia. The photograph with Antonova was taken in Manhattan, showing Chapman gesturing toward the Art Deco office building near Wall Street where she maintained a luxury apartment.
Gates and Antonova's Bridge Connection
Gates first encountered Antonova at the North American Bridge Championship tournament in Washington DC during the summer of 2009. Both are known bridge enthusiasts who regularly attend these tournaments. Antonova, now approximately 42 years old, learned bridge while attending school in Russia and has claimed the game helped her focus on studies.
A professional bridge player who has played with Antonova described her as an "intermediate player, like Gates" and noted she was "very keen on bridge and smart." The player added that NABC tournaments function as social events where relationships develop.
Documented Interactions and Public Appearances
In March 2010, Gates and Antonova were seen together again at the NABC spring tournament in Reno, Nevada. The Daily Mail discovered a video from May 2023 showing Antonova interviewing Gates during the tournament for her Bridgeunion.com website. In the footage, she asks Gates "Who are you?" in heavily accented Russian, with both sharing flirtatious smiles and off-screen giggles.
On June 9, 2010, Antonova referenced her connection to Gates during an "Ignite NYC" conference, where she quoted actress Mae West's famous quip: "Good sex is like bridge: if you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand." During her presentation, an image of Antonova with Gates appeared on screen, and she told the audience she had predicted meeting him two years earlier.
Epstein's Involvement and Financial Transactions
According to the Wall Street Journal, Epstein met Antonova in November 2013 when she sought $500,000 in funding for her "BridgePlanet" project to teach bridge online. Although Epstein provided feedback, he ultimately declined to invest. However, in November 2014, Antonova briefly stayed at a New York apartment provided by Epstein.
After failing to secure funding for her bridge project, Antonova decided to become a software programmer and asked several people, including Epstein, to lend money for a programming boot camp called Hack Reactor. Epstein agreed to pay the tuition directly to the school. In 2017, years after Gates' alleged relationship with Antonova ended, Epstein reportedly emailed Gates asking for reimbursement of these programming school fees.
Broader Implications and Unanswered Questions
Gates' spokeswoman has acknowledged that Epstein "tried unsuccessfully to leverage a past relationship" to pressure the Microsoft co-founder. The registered sex offender had sought to recruit Gates as an "anchor donor" to a multi-billion-dollar charitable fund that never materialized. Gates met Epstein more than half a dozen times and once flew on his private jet, later expressing regret about these interactions.
The central question remains whether Epstein knew about Antonova's apparent connections to Chapman and whether this knowledge played any role in his interactions with Gates. Given Epstein's history of recording compromising material to potentially blackmail wealthy and powerful associates, and claims that he may have worked with Russian secret services, the photograph linking Gates' former lover to a Kremlin spy takes on additional significance.
Antonova has stated she "had no idea that he was a criminal or had any ulterior motive" regarding Epstein and expressed disgust at his actions. She emphasized that nothing was exchanged when Epstein paid for her programming education. However, the WSJ reported that Epstein's 2017 email to Gates about reimbursing these fees carried a tone suggesting he knew about the affair and could expose it.
