Pakistan, May 9 – Bill Gates has openly condemned Elon Musk’s decision to scale back U.S. foreign aid programs, warning that the move could severely jeopardize the lives of millions in underprivileged areas. Speaking with the Financial Times, Gates accused Musk of putting global health at risk by dismantling key initiatives run by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Gates claims that Musk’s newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) abruptly terminated several critical health programs, causing major disruptions in the supply of food, medicine, and vaccines in low-income countries. He cautioned that diseases such as measles, HIV, and polio could see a resurgence in parts of Asia and Africa as a result.
“It’s a grim image—seeing the world’s wealthiest individual make choices that could cost the lives of the world’s poorest children,” Gates remarked. He also criticized Musk’s decision to withdraw funding from an HIV-prevention facility in Mozambique, which Musk reportedly canceled due to a misunderstanding about its location, mistakenly linking it to the Gaza Strip. Musk has since acknowledged the error.
Gates stressed that philanthropic donations alone cannot compensate for the approximately $44 billion lost through the aid cuts. He warned that the long-term impact of these reductions will be most severe in impoverished and marginalized communities.
In a related announcement, Gates revealed that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will cease operations by 2045. His plan is to donate nearly all of his $200 billion fortune over the next two decades, focusing on global health, education, and development. He also called on fellow billionaires to commit to sustainable, long-term humanitarian aid rather than depend solely on technology-driven fixes.
The tension between Gates and Musk is not new. Musk has previously dismissed conventional philanthropy as ineffective, advocating instead for business solutions through ventures like Tesla and SpaceX. Gates countered that while innovation has its place, immediate humanitarian crises require direct aid and government involvement that private enterprise alone cannot provide.
