Musk Criticized for Leading U.S. Foreign Aid and Development Cuts
Abolishing USAID Called "an Act of Ignorance"
Funding Halted Because of Musk
He Should Meet the Children Infected with HIV
"The picture of the world's richest man killing the world's poorest children is not a pretty one."
On May 8 (local time), Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and a globally renowned billionaire, issued a scathing criticism of Tesla CEO Elon Musk. In an interview with the Financial Times (FT) that day, Gates harshly condemned Musk for leading the reduction of U.S. foreign development and aid, stating that he was "killing the children of the world's poorest countries."
This was a pointed reference to Musk, who served as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Donald Trump administration and abolished the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in February, saying "it's time for it to disappear." As the U.S. abruptly cut off aid, emergency food and medicines have piled up in warehouses and are now at risk of being discarded, raising concerns that diseases such as measles, HIV, and polio could once again spread.
Gates denounced Musk's decision as an "act of ignorance." He also criticized Musk for calling USAID a "criminal organization," pointing out, "He has no idea what this agency actually does."
He further stated that hospital funding to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Gaza Province, Mozambique, was halted because of Musk, and criticized this as a mistake resulting from Musk confusing Gaza Province in Africa with the Gaza Strip in the Middle East. Gates said, "I wish he could meet the children infected with HIV as a result of cutting off that funding." Musk has previously admitted, "Some of what I say may be wrong," acknowledging his confusion between Gaza Province and the Gaza Strip.
Gates and Musk have clashed several times in the past over philanthropic activities. In 2012, Musk signed the "Giving Pledge" led by Gates, his former wife Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett, but has since dismissed most philanthropic efforts as "nonsense," arguing that commercial solutions are more effective in helping the disadvantaged.
The biography of Musk by Walter Isaacson also contains passages that hint at the discord between the two billionaires. One such episode describes Musk's anger upon learning that Gates had shorted Tesla stock, with Musk remarking that Gates was "trying to make money while hindering a company that is trying to change the world."
Meanwhile, Gates announced that he would donate $200 billion over the next 20 years and fully dissolve the Gates Foundation by 2045. This amount is twice the $100 billion he has donated over the past 25 years. The foundation plans to increase its annual budget to about $10 billion and continue to focus on vaccines, maternal health, and child health. Gates emphasized, "Rather than sustaining the foundation permanently, we will concentrate our funding over 20 years to achieve clearer goals and greater impact."
However, he pointed out that such private philanthropy alone cannot fill the gap left by the reduction in U.S. government aid. Last year, USAID's budget reached $44 billion. Gates also stated that he plans to leave less than 1% of his assets to his children, expressing support for "a strong inheritance tax and more progressive taxation" to prevent the accumulation of inherited wealth.
FT reported that some critics allege Gates uses the foundation as a tax avoidance tool or exerts excessive influence over the global health agenda through his vast wealth.
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