Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has escalated his ongoing feud with Elon Musk, accusing the Tesla CEO of jeopardizing the lives of the world’s poorest children by making misguided cuts to US development assistance. Gates, who recently announced plans to accelerate his philanthropic giving over the next two decades and ultimately close down the Gates Foundation by 2045, criticized Musk for his actions, stating that they were driven by ignorance.
In a recent interview, Gates expressed concern over Musk’s decision to effectively shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID) through his Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) in February. This move, according to Gates, has led to life-saving food and medicines expiring in warehouses and could result in the resurgence of diseases such as measles, HIV, and polio.
Gates pointed out that Musk’s decision to cancel grants to a hospital in Gaza Province, Mozambique, which helps prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to their babies, was based on a misunderstanding. Musk believed that the US was supplying condoms to Hamas in Gaza, leading to his decision to cut funding. Gates emphasized the impact of such actions, highlighting the children who have now been infected with HIV due to the lack of support.
The 69-year-old philanthropist announced his intention to spend a significant portion of his fortune over the next two decades, estimating that the Gates Foundation will allocate more than $200 billion towards global health, development, and education during this period. The foundation will focus on finding long-term solutions to issues such as eradicating polio and curing HIV, aiming for maximum impact with its accelerated spending approach.
Gates emphasized that private philanthropy alone cannot compensate for the cuts to USAID, which had a budget of $44 billion last year. He also outlined plans to pass on less than 1% of his wealth to his children, supporting a strong estate tax to prevent the accumulation of “dynastic wealth” and advocating for more progressive taxation policies.
The ongoing feud between Gates and Musk dates back to previous clashes over philanthropy, with Musk expressing skepticism towards traditional charitable efforts and emphasizing the importance of commercial solutions like Tesla’s electric vehicles. The two billionaires have exchanged harsh words in the past, with Gates criticizing Musk’s lack of understanding of the operations of USAID and Musk questioning the efficacy of traditional philanthropic approaches.
Despite their disagreements, Gates has been more reserved in his criticism of former President Donald Trump, acknowledging the potential for reversals in budget cuts and expressing concerns over Trump’s choice of Robert F Kennedy Jr as secretary of health. However, Gates reserved his harshest criticism for Musk, whose actions he believes threaten to undermine decades of work by the Gates Foundation.
As Gates continues to advocate for impactful philanthropy and sustainable solutions to global challenges, the feud between him and Musk highlights the complexities of balancing commercial innovation with humanitarian efforts. The Gates Foundation’s accelerated spending plan and commitment to addressing urgent problems reflect Gates’ determination to leave a lasting impact on the world.
