Bill Gates harshly criticized Elon Musk’s role in DOGE, accusing him of harming vulnerable children by slashing global aid programs.
Bill Gates sharply accused Elon Musk of causing serious harm to the world’s most vulnerable populations through drastic aid program cuts.
The criticism stems from Elon Musk’s leadership role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
This newly formed initiative under President Donald Trump aims to cut federal spending.
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Since January, DOGE has enacted sweeping reforms across U.S. federal agencies, with a heavy focus on slashing budgets. Among the hardest hit has been the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID), previously the world’s largest single source of humanitarian aid.
Musk, appointed by Trump to lead DOGE, called USAID a “criminal organization” and announced its dissolution, citing systemic inefficiency.
In response, Gates did not mince words. In an interview with the Financial Times, he stated: “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one.”
His comments reflect growing concern among health and aid experts who say the abrupt withdrawal of U.S. support has already triggered a public health crisis in several regions.
Critical health programs have been abruptly halted nationwide.
USAID, which employed over 10,000 people and distributed more than $40 billion in global aid in 2023 alone, supported vital healthcare services.
These included vaccine distribution, maternal health initiatives, and HIV prevention.
With USAID dismantled, Gates warned that countries depending on these programs are now facing medicine shortages, expired supplies, and the return of diseases like polio, HIV, and measles.
One of Gates’ most pointed criticisms involves the cancellation of grants to a Gaza hospital focused on preventing the transmission of HIV from mothers to their children.
Musk reportedly justified the decision by falsely accusing the hospital of distributing condoms to Hamas.
“I’d love for him to meet the children now infected with HIV because he cut that money,” Gates said.
A long-standing rift continues between tech titans Gates and Musk.
Gates and Musk have clashed in the past. Although both signed the Giving Pledge, Musk later dismissed the initiative as “bulls.”
Gates, however, continues to uphold his pledge, most recently announcing a plan to donate nearly all of his $200 billion fortune by 2045 through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The timing of the Gates Foundation’s intensified efforts underscores the urgency of his message.
With international aid budgets being slashed by governments, private philanthropy is becoming more critical than ever.
Gates believes his personal donations are just a fraction of the gap left by public sector cuts.
Gates emphasizes the importance of collective action.
In a public letter outlining his giving strategy, Gates wrote: “There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people.”
He emphasized that global development, health, and education cannot rely solely on private donors and called for sustained governmental support.
Gates plans to allocate $200 billion by 2045 for disease eradication, maternal health, and education reform.
He fears that the elimination of key government programs will undermine these efforts.
The foundation’s work, he says, can’t replace what entire agencies were accomplishing.
