Bill Gates Escalates Feud with Elon Musk Over US Development Assistance Cuts
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates intensified his criticism of Elon Musk, accusing the world’s richest man of "killing the world’s poorest children" through his misguided cuts to US development assistance. The feud between the two billionaires has been brewing for some time, with Gates expressing his disapproval of Musk’s decision to shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
According to Gates, the abrupt cuts to USAID have left life-saving food and medicines expiring in warehouses, putting the lives of millions of people at risk. "The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one," he told the Financial Times. Gates, who is set to announce a plan to accelerate his philanthropic giving over the next 20 years, believes that Musk’s actions are a result of ignorance. "He has no understanding of what the US agency did or how it operated," Gates said.
The controversy began in February when Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) effectively shut down USAID, with Musk stating that it was "time for it to die". The move has had severe consequences, with Gates warning that it could lead to the resurgence of diseases such as measles, HIV, and polio. Gates specifically cited the example of a hospital in Gaza Province, Mozambique, which had been receiving funding from USAID to prevent women from transmitting HIV to their babies. Musk had cancelled the grants in the mistaken belief that the US was supplying condoms to Hamas in Gaza.
Gates’ philanthropic efforts have been widely recognised, and he has announced plans to spend virtually his entire fortune over the next 20 years. The Gates Foundation, which he co-founded with his wife Melinda, will close its doors in 2045, decades earlier than previously envisaged. The foundation’s budget will rise to around $10 billion a year, with a focus on global health, development, and education. However, Gates warned that private philanthropy cannot make up the shortfall from the cuts to USAID, whose budget was $44 billion last year.
The cuts to USAID have been met with widespread criticism, with many experts warning of the devastating consequences for global health and development. Gates’ criticism of Musk has been echoed by many in the philanthropic community, who are concerned about the impact of the cuts on the world’s most vulnerable populations. As Gates noted, "I’d love for him to go in and meet the children that have now been infected with HIV because he cut that money."
Gates and Musk have a history of clashing over philanthropy. In 2012, Musk signed the Giving Pledge, launched by Bill and Melinda Gates and investor Warren Buffett, through which dozens of billionaires promised to give away at least half their wealth. However, Musk later expressed his scepticism about philanthropy, stating that commercial solutions to problems like climate change were more effective. The two billionaires have also clashed over Twitter, with Musk posting an unflattering photograph of Gates accompanied by a derogatory caption.
In a letter outlining his decision to accelerate his philanthropic giving, Gates stated, "People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them. There are too many urgent problems to solve." Gates intends to pass on less than 1 per cent of his wealth to his children, and has expressed his support for a strong estate tax to prevent "dynastic wealth" and "much more progressive taxation".
The feud between Gates and Musk highlights the challenges faced by philanthropic organisations in the current global landscape. The Gates Foundation is one of many that fear the US president might try to remove their tax-free status through an executive order. Gates has been more restrained in his criticism of Donald Trump, but has expressed concern about the appointment of Robert F Kennedy Jr as secretary of health, citing Kennedy’s history of attacking vaccines.
As the world’s attention turns to the philanthropic efforts of billionaires like Gates and Musk, it is clear that the stakes are high. The fate of millions of people around the world hangs in the balance, and the decisions made by these individuals will have far-reaching consequences. As Gates noted, "He’s overboard on Mars," referring to Musk’s ambitions to colonise the planet. For now, however, the focus is on the here and now, and the urgent problems that require solving.
The impact of the cuts to USAID will be closely watched by experts and philanthropic organisations around the world. As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the consequences of Musk’s actions will be severe, and the lives of millions of people will be affected. According to the Financial Times, Musk and Doge did not respond to requests for comment.
Additional reporting by Joe Miller in Washington. This article is based on an interview with Bill Gates, as reported by the Financial Times. The original article can be found at https://www.ft.com/content/bdd9bb89-ac3c-4043-9ca4-bc7efbd41fed.
