Bill Gates blames Elon Musk for global health crisis and vows to donate his fortune
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and philanthropist (Photo: Getty Images)
Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates accused Elon Musk of endangering the world’s most vulnerable children while announcing plans to donate all his wealth, reports NBC News.
In a bold interview with Financial Times, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates condemned Elon Musk for shutting down the US Agency for International Development (USAID) earlier this year.
The agency, which provided critical foreign aid to impoverished regions, was closed under Musk's controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, which aimed to streamline federal operations.
"The picture of the world's richest man killing the world's poorest children is not a pretty one," Gates said. "I'd love for him to go in and meet the children that have now been infected with HIV because he cut that money."
Musk and DOGE officials have yet to respond to the criticism. Musk recently announced a step back from DOGE leadership following a significant drop in Tesla's earnings for Q1.
The decision to disband USAID has sparked global concern about the resurgence of preventable diseases like measles, HIV, and polio in underserved areas.
Gates accelerates plan to donate entire fortune and close his foundation
Alongside his critique, Gates revealed his intention to donate the rest of his wealth to the Gates Foundation over the next two decades.
Celebrating the nonprofit's 25th anniversary, he also disclosed that the foundation will wind down operations by December 31, 2045 — a move that comes sooner than initially anticipated.
"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," Gates wrote in a blog post. "There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people."
Since its inception in 2000, the Gates Foundation has distributed over $100 billion to global health and development programs.
Gates now plans to add another $200 billion through the foundation's endowment and personal contributions. "The Gates Foundation's mission remains rooted in the idea that where you are born should not determine your opportunities," he wrote.
Gates closes this chapter of his life determined to turn his fortune into long-lasting global impact.
