Bill Gates, a computer billionaire from the United States, has accused Elon Musk, another billionaire, of “killing the world’s poorest children” by supporting drastic cuts to USAID, a significant source of financing for food and health relief programs around the world.
Gates delivered a biting critique of Musk to the Financial Times on Thursday, saying, “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one.”
Currently serving under President Donald Trump, Musk is in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Gates claimed that Musk’s department’s drastic cuts to aid have “decimated” USAID’s capacity to fund life-saving programs like childhood vaccines and emergency food relief for disadvantaged groups.
His remarks coincided with his announcement that he would wind down the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation by 2045 and donate almost all of his personal wealth over the next 20 years.
Since its founding in 2000 with his then-wife Melinda French Gates and later with Warren Buffett, the foundation has disbursed $100 billion and plans to release a further $100 billion until it ends.
When I die, people will say many things about me, but I’m determined that ‘he died rich’ won’t be one of them, the Microsoft co-founder stated in a message posted on his website.
“I have too many pressing issues to deal with to hoard resources that could be used to assist others.”
Gates also attacked larger cuts to foreign aid from rich countries.
He pointed to lowered pledges from the US, UK, and France, saying, “It’s unclear whether the world’s richest countries will continue to stand up for its poorest people.”
He cautioned that even the foundation’s significant resources would not be sufficient to maintain advancements in global health without government backing.
Using polio as an example, Gates said that without U.S. support, eradication attempts would probably fail: “Polio would not be eradicated.”
Gates insisted that millionaires have a need to take action, even if the foundation was criticized for its enormous impact on world health and became the focus of conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since it is such a profoundly significant way to give back to society, he remarked, “I hope other wealthy people consider how much they can accelerate progress for the world’s poorest if they increased the pace and scale of their giving.”
Once on the same page when it came to philanthropy, Gates and Musk have since battled frequently, with assistance policy currently being the main point of contention.
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