Bill Gates Says Elon Musk Is 'Killing Kids,' Here's The Real Story Behind The Explosive Claim

Bill Gates has dramatically accused fellow billionaire Elon Musk, of having 'blood on his hands' after the Tesla founder's crusade against American foreign aid allegedly led to HIV-positive children in Mozambique being denied life-saving treatment.

In an unusually blunt attack, the Microsoft co-founder blamed Musk's abrupt slashing of US Agency for International Development (USAID) funding had caused crucial medical supplies to spoil in warehouses and threatened decades of progress against infectious diseases.

In an interview, Gates summarised plans to boost his charitable contributions for the next 20 years and conclude the Gates Foundation's work in 2045.

The USAID Funding Dispute: A Misunderstanding?

Back in February, Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is focused on government efficiency, essentially halted operations at the USAID, the primary channel for US aid, declaring it was 'time for it to die.'

The Microsoft co-founder, a former world's wealthiest individual, explained that the sudden cuts resulted in crucial food and medical supplies spoiling in storage, potentially leading to a comeback of illnesses like measles, HIV, and polio.

'Killing the World's Poorest': Gates's Explosive Claim

'The picture of the world's richest man killing the world's poorest children is not a pretty one,' Gates told the Financial Times. Gates indicated that Musk halted funding for a hospital in Gaza Province, Mozambique, which aids in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission, based on a false assumption that the US was supplying condoms to Hamas in the Middle Eastern Gaza Strip.

'I'd love for him to go in and meet the children that have now been infected with HIV because he cut that money,' he added.

Gates's $200B Pledge And Foundation's Sunset

On 8 May, Gates revealed his intention to donate almost all of his wealth within the next two decades. He anticipates that his foundation will allocate over £149.99 billion ($200 billion) towards global health, development, and education, a significant increase from the £74.99 billion ($100 billion) spent in the preceding 25 years.

The timeline for the Gates Foundation's closure has been moved up to 2045, marking a considerable change from previous expectations. According to Gates, this expedited spending strategy is designed to yield the largest impact, aiming to achieve permanent solutions for issues like the eradication of polio and a cure for HIV.

'It gives us clarity. We'll have a lot more money because we're spending down over the 20 years, as opposed to making an effort to be a perpetual foundation,' Gates said.

The foundation will maintain its primary focus on global health, with its annual budget increasing to roughly £7.50 billion ($10 billion), and vaccines alongside maternal and child health remaining key priorities. However, Gates emphasised that private charitable giving cannot compensate for the reductions in USAID funding, totalling £33 billion ($44 billion) in the previous year.

Gates plans to leave his children less than 1% of his fortune. He expressed his support for a robust inheritance tax to discourage the accumulation of 'dynastic wealth' and 'much more progressive taxation.'

Tax Shields And Influence

Some critics have suggested that Gates utilises his foundation's non-profit status to minimise his tax burden and leverages his vast wealth to exert excessive influence over global health agendas.

In a letter explaining his decision, Gates wrote: '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.'

A Clash Of Giving Philosophies

Gates and Musk have previously disagreed on philanthropy. In 2012, Musk joined the Giving Pledge, an initiative created by Bill and Melinda Gates and investor Warren Buffett, where numerous billionaires committed to donating at least half of their fortunes.

However, according to Musk's biographer, Walter Isaacson, Musk later expressed to Gates that philanthropy mainly was 'bullshit' and that business-driven solutions, such as Tesla's electric cars, were more impactful in addressing issues like climate change.

According to Isaacson, Musk was deeply angered in 2022 when he learned Gates had shorted Tesla stock, criticising him for trying to gain financially by working against a company aiming to do good. Musk then shared an offensive picture of Gates on Twitter, now X, with an insulting remark.

Gates On USAID And Trump's Cuts

Gates told the FT that Musk, who described USAID as 'a criminal organisation,' clearly misunderstood the agency's work. Musk later admitted in February to confusing the Mozambican province of Gaza with the Palestinian territory, conceding that 'some of the things that I say will be incorrect.'

In contrast to his remarks about Musk, Gates has been more measured in his comments on Donald Trump. He indicates that Trump might not have fully realised the effects of certain funding cuts and implies potential for adjustments.

The Gates Foundation and numerous other organisations fear that the US president may seek to eliminate their tax-free status via executive order. Gates disapproved of Trump's selection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary, stating that Kennedy had 'attacked vaccines, and specifically my role . . . with a lot of falsehoods.'

However, Gates directed his strongest disapproval towards Musk, whose funding reductions, he argued, risked undoing 25 years of the Gates Foundation's efforts. Gates had previously told Isaacson that Musk should dedicate more attention to addressing earthly problems rather than pursuing solutions on other planets, stating, 'He's overboard on Mars.'