Bill Gates Blasts Elon Musk Over Foreign Aid Cuts: “He’s Killing the World’s Poorest Children”
Elon Musk has come under intense fire from Bill Gates, who has publicly condemned the tech mogul’s role in a controversial government agency—accusing him of actions that could endanger the lives of vulnerable children around the globe.
Just 100 days into Donald Trump’s presidency, the global landscape has already shifted dramatically. While the White House has issued a flurry of executive orders stirring debate and division, one decision stands out: the appointment of Elon Musk, often dubbed Trump’s billionaire “First Buddy,” to head the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Tasked with slashing federal spending and streamlining government operations, DOGE has become a lightning rod for criticism. Among its most vocal opponents is Bill Gates, who, while a billionaire himself, takes sharp issue with Musk’s aggressive cost-cutting measures—particularly those that involve slashing foreign aid.
“These cuts aren’t just numbers on a balance sheet—they’re killing the world’s poorest children,” Gates stated, underscoring the dire consequences of withdrawing essential support from developing nations.
As global leaders and citizens alike grapple with this new political era, the clash between two of the world’s most influential billionaires highlights a growing divide over how wealth and power should be used in shaping the future.
Gates Slams Musk Over Foreign Aid Cuts: “This Is How the World’s Poorest Children Die”
In a growing feud between two of the world’s most high-profile billionaires, Bill Gates has launched a scathing attack on Elon Musk over sweeping cuts to foreign aid programs—calling the fallout a “death sentence” for the world’s most vulnerable children.
In recent months, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Musk, has drastically downsized or dismantled dozens of federal agencies, with USAID—the U.S. Agency for International Development—being one of the hardest hit. Once the world’s largest humanitarian aid agency, USAID employed nearly 10,000 people and disbursed over $40 million in aid in 2023 alone.
Musk, however, dismissed the agency as a corrupt, bloated bureaucracy. “USAID isn’t an apple with a worm in it,” he declared in February. “It’s just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing.” He labeled the organization a “criminal enterprise” and vowed to shut it down, calling it a waste of federal money.
Bill Gates has taken particular issue with Musk’s approach to foreign aid, calling the cost-cutting “reckless” and “foolish.” In an interview with the Financial Times, the Microsoft co-founder didn’t hold back: “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one.”
Gates warned that without continued support from the U.S., developing countries could face surging rates of preventable diseases like measles, HIV, and polio. Vital medicines and food supplies, he noted, are now expiring in warehouses due to abrupt funding halts.
One of the most controversial cuts came in Gaza, where Musk reportedly axed funding for a maternal health hospital that helped prevent HIV transmission from mothers to newborns. Musk justified the move by claiming the U.S. was “distributing condoms to Hamas,” a statement Gates dismissed as dangerously misinformed.
“I’d love for him to go and meet the children who are now infected with HIV because he cut that money,” Gates said.
The confrontation between Gates and Musk is not new. Tensions have been simmering since Musk dismissed the Giving Pledge—a philanthropic commitment Gates helped launch—as “bulls***.” While Musk signed on in 2012 alongside other billionaires, his recent comments suggest a sharp divergence in philosophy.
Gates, meanwhile, has pledged to donate nearly his entire fortune and dissolve the Gates Foundation by 2045. He plans to invest $200 billion over the next two decades into global health, education, and disease eradication, focusing on vaccines, maternal care, and an HIV cure.
Gates Slams Musk Over Foreign Aid Cuts: “This Is How the World’s Poorest Children Die”
In a growing feud between two of the world’s most high-profile billionaires, Bill Gates has launched a scathing attack on Elon Musk over sweeping cuts to foreign aid programs—calling the fallout a “death sentence” for the world’s most vulnerable children.
In recent months, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Musk, has drastically downsized or dismantled dozens of federal agencies, with USAID—the U.S. Agency for International Development—being one of the hardest hit. Once the world’s largest humanitarian aid agency, USAID employed nearly 10,000 people and disbursed over $40 million in aid in 2023 alone.
Musk, however, dismissed the agency as a corrupt, bloated bureaucracy. “USAID isn’t an apple with a worm in it,” he declared in February. “It’s just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing.” He labeled the organization a “criminal enterprise” and vowed to shut it down, calling it a waste of federal money.
Bill Gates has taken particular issue with Musk’s approach to foreign aid, calling the cost-cutting “reckless” and “foolish.” In an interview with the Financial Times, the Microsoft co-founder didn’t hold back: “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one.”
He warned that without continued U.S. support, developing nations could face surging rates of preventable diseases like measles, HIV, and polio. Life-saving medications and food shipments are already spoiling in warehouses due to the abrupt funding halt.
One of the most controversial cuts came in Gaza, where Musk reportedly slashed funding to a maternal health hospital that helped prevent HIV transmission from mothers to their unborn children. Musk defended the decision by claiming U.S. aid was being used to “distribute condoms to Hamas,” a claim Gates called dangerously misinformed.
“I’d love for him to go and meet the children who are now infected with HIV because he cut that money,” Gates said.
Though Gates has committed to spending $200 billion over the next two decades on global health, education, and disease eradication, he admitted that his efforts pale in comparison to the damage already done. “My own attempts are small next to the $44 billion deficit caused by USAID’s cuts last year alone,” he acknowledged.
In a letter outlining his long-term philanthropic vision, Gates reflected on his legacy: “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.”