Bill Gates and Elon Musk are regarded as the two most influential tech entrepreneurs of our time. While they both acquired their wealth through their contributions to the advancement of technology, they differ significantly in their outlook towards philanthropy. Elon Musk’s current net worth is estimated to be around $395,6 billion, while Bill Gates’ is said to be around $113 billion, less than half that of Musk’s. Yet, when it comes to supporting charities, the Gates Foundation has already spent more than $100 billion. Elon Musk’s charitable foundation has donated around $450 million in total for the past three years.
This is not even enough for the charity to retain tax-exempt status. While Gates has encouraged other billionaires to follow his lead and give away the majority of their wealth to charities, Musk prefers focusing his energy and funds on projects he believes will improve humanity in the long run. Musk has also recently spearheaded DOGE, with the aim of saving money by cutting the federal workforce. Gates claims that these actions have affected the poorest children in the world. In this article, we explore why Bill Gates criticizes Elon Musk’s recent actions regarding his role in DOGE.
Bill Gates Criticizes Elon Musk and DOGE
Since Trump took office in January, he has signed countless controversial decisions and executive orders, which have changed the political and social landscape dramatically. Yet, the most notable of these is undoubtedly the appointment of Elon Musk as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This department was apparently created to save money by chainsawing its way through the federal workforce. One would think that a more precise tool would be used for such surgical precision, as chainsaws are typically rather brute and indiscriminate, hacking through whatever is placed in front of them.
It’s no surprise, then, that Gates has raised the alarm about the shredded mess Musk has left in DOGE’s wake. For example, DOGE attacked various foreign aid initiatives, such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID), calling it “criminal”. USAID was, in fact, the largest donor of humanitarian aid in the world in 2023. However, Musk considered the initiative a waste of funds, announcing its imminent closure. Gates took issue with this misguided move the most, stating, “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one.”
Bill Gates further stated that, due to Misk’s actions, potentially life-saving food supplies and medications have instead ended up expiring in warehouses. This could result in a rise in diseases such as polio, HIV, and measles, as well as starvation. Musk even cancelled grants that were meant to be allocated to HIV prevention programs in Mozambique’s Gaza Province. However, Musk thought it was for funding condom distribution to Hamas in Gaza. “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 recently said in an interview with the Financial Times.
Read More: Bill Gates Once Issued a Warning to the World About Elon Musk
Not The First Time The Tech Giants Have Clashed
This is not the first time the two billionaires have not seen eye-to-eye, though. Musk signed the Giving Pledge in 2012, pledging to give at least half of their wealth to charities. However, Musk told Gates that he felt the initiative was “bull****”. Gates, though, plans to close the Gates Foundation in 2045 and give almost his entire fortune away to various causes. He intends to pump $200 billion into various development, education, and global health initiatives.
He also plans to cure HIV and eradicate diseases through vaccinations. Yet, much must still be done to fix the massive $44 billion hole that Musk cut into the USAID funding. But as daunting as the task may seem, Gates is ready to tackle it head-on. Gates recently clarified is intentions, stating, “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.” It is yet to be seen what Musk will do to try releive the suffering of his fellow human beings. We highly doubt this is the last time Bill Gates criticizes Elon Musk, though.
Read More: Bill Gates Predicts a 2-Day Workweek is Coming in Just 10 Years
