Bill Gates has strongly criticized Elon Musk following significant cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), warning that the move could have devastating consequences for children in the world’s poorest regions.
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, the Microsoft co-founder accused Musk of undermining vital healthcare programs, particularly in Africa, where he said the withdrawal of U.S. aid could lead to increased infections of HIV, measles, and polio.
“The image of the world’s richest man making decisions that result in the deaths of the world’s poorest children is deeply troubling,” Gates said.
His comments come after Musk’s Department for Government Efficiency (Doge) assumed control of USAID in February, immediately slashing its $40 billion foreign aid budget. Most staff were reportedly dismissed or placed on leave, and international development projects were abruptly halted.
Musk defended the decision, previously describing USAID as “a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America” and accusing it of mismanaging funds. One particularly controversial claim involved allegations that funds meant for hospitals in Mozambique’s Gaza Province were instead being used to send condoms to Hamas—something Gates dismissed as false.
“I’d love for him to meet the children now infected with HIV because of those cuts,” Gates said.
Gates also expressed disappointment in UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer for reducing Britain’s overseas aid budget, calling the move “surprising and disappointing.”
Although Musk later admitted that Doge had made some “mistakes,” the incident marks another flashpoint in the ongoing feud between the two billionaires.
The rift deepened after Musk distanced himself from the Giving Pledge—an initiative Gates co-founded—calling most large-scale philanthropy “bull****,” according to biographer Walter Isaacson.
