Bill Gates Slams Elon Musk Over USAID Budget Cuts: A Potential Disaster for Millions of Kids
Millions of children succumb due to Musk's budget reduction, per Gates' assertion. - Children's mortality escalates due to Musk's budgetary reductions, according to Gates' claims
Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates isn't holding back his criticism for tech mogul Elon Musk, accusing him of playing a part in the deaths of millions of children worldwide due to drastic cuts in U.S. aid programs.
In an interview with the "New York Times," Gates ripped into Musk, stating that the cuts made to USAID, a vital organization for global development, are "staggering." If these cuts remain in place, Gates expects the number of children dying each year in poor countries to skyrocket from 5 to 6 million.
According to Gates, the number of child deaths should have dropped to 4 million in the coming years without these budget cuts. Instead, he blames Musk for the potential lives lost: "He's the one who slashed the budget of USAID."
Musk has poured fuel on the fire by stating on his platform X that Gates is a "huge liar."
On the USAID "carousel"
Musk, who runs companies like Tesla, backed Donald Trump's presidential campaign with over $250 million and became one of his most trusted advisors. After Trump's election, Musk was tapped to help cut government spending. In Musk's own words, he "put USAID on the carousel," or, in less melodious terms, dismantled essential programs.
"The world's richest man is involved in the death of the world's poorest children," Gates remarks. With an estimated net worth of over $300 billion (268 billion euros), Musk has shown little commitment to charitable causes, despite joining the "Giving Pledge" initiative started by Gates and investor Warren Buffett.
Gates himself has donated vast portions of his wealth to his foundation recently. In a shocking move, he announced that the Gates Foundation will spend almost all of its wealth in the next 20 years and shut its doors. He anticipates the foundation will spend over $200 billion during this period.
- Bill Gates
- Elon Musk
- Children
- USAID
- Global Development
- Aid Programs
- Mortality Rates
- Donald Trump
- New York Times
- Billionaires
- Giving Pledge
- Bill Gates, in an interview with the New York Times, accused Elon Musk of contributing to the deaths of millions of children around the world due to drastic cuts in U.S. aid programs, specifically with USAID.
- Gates claimed that the cuts, which Musk helped implement during Donald Trump's presidency, could increase the number of children dying each year in poor countries from 5 to 6 million.
- Musk, a billionaire who ran companies like Tesla and backed Trump's presidential campaign, was reportedly tasked with cutting government spending and removed crucial aid programs from USAID.
- In response, Gates stated that the world's richest man, Musk, is indirectly involved in the death of the world's poorest children.
- Despite joining the Giving Pledge initiative started by Gates and investor Warren Buffett, Musk has shown minimal commitment to charitable causes and has not significantly contributed to reducing poverty and supporting global development.
