Billionaire feud erupts over Musk’s dismantling of US foreign aid agency
In an explosive interview with the Financial Times, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates launched a scathing critique of Elon Musk, accusing the Tesla and SpaceX chief of effectively “killing the world’s poorest children” through his aggressive cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Musk, now leading the Trump administration’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), declared USAID a “criminal organisation” earlier this year and called for its termination. The result, Gates says, is nothing short of catastrophic.
“The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one,” Gates said.
Gates lays out devastating impact of funding cuts
Food and medicine left to rot
According to Gates, the abrupt dissolution of USAID has already led to severe humanitarian consequences. Life-saving food, vaccines, and medicines meant for vulnerable populations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are reportedly going unused, expiring in warehouses due to halted distribution channels.
Diseases once on the brink of eradication—such as measles, polio, and HIV—now risk resurgence, with governments in low-income countries scrambling to fill the void left by US aid.
HIV programs in Mozambique cancelled
One particularly distressing case, Gates said, involves a hospital in Gaza Province, Mozambique, that was receiving American grants to help prevent HIV transmission from mothers to newborns. Musk reportedly cancelled the funding, under the mistaken belief that the aid was going to the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, Middle East.
“I’d love for him to go in and meet the children that have now been infected with HIV because he cut that money,” Gates told the Financial Times, visibly angered by what he described as Musk’s ignorance of global geography and health policy.
The $200 Billion Legacy Plan
Foundation to wind down by 2045
Alongside his sharp critique of Musk, Gates announced that he plans to spend “virtually all” of his estimated $200 billion wealth over the next two decades. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will officially close its doors on 31 December 2045.
The move marks a shift from previous plans to operate as a perpetual foundation. Instead, Gates is opting for accelerated philanthropic spending to maximise impact within a short window.
Focus areas: Vaccines, maternal health, disease eradication
Over the next 20 years, the foundation’s annual budget is expected to grow to nearly $10 billion. Gates said the focus will remain on global health initiatives, including the eradication of polio, maternal and child healthcare, vaccine distribution, and potentially even a cure for HIV.
“The idea is to solve big problems once and for all,” Gates said. “Not just to make a dent.”
A clash of ideologies
A long-running feud reignited
This latest controversy is only the newest chapter in a decade-long conflict between Gates and Musk. While both men are among the most influential and wealthy people on the planet, their views on philanthropy and change-making diverge sharply.
Gates champions a data-driven, institutional approach to solving global problems. Musk, on the other hand, advocates for free-market innovation, believing that technological breakthroughs—like Tesla’s electric cars and SpaceX’s Mars missions—will solve the world’s most pressing issues.
The Tesla short and personal jabs
In 2022, Musk publicly lashed out at Gates after learning that Gates had shorted Tesla stock, calling him a hypocrite and even mocking his appearance in a tweet. That episode worsened tensions between the two, making any reconciliation highly unlikely.
Musk, who signed Gates’ “Giving Pledge” in 2012, later dismissed most philanthropy as “bullshit” in private conversations, according to biographer Walter Isaacson.
Political context: Trump’s second term and far-right influence
Trump’s influence looms large
While Gates saved his harshest words for Musk, he did express concern about the broader political climate. He criticised the Trump administration’s drastic cuts to public health programs and voiced dismay over Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment as Health Secretary, citing his history of vaccine misinformation.
Still, Gates was more cautious in his criticism of Trump himself, suggesting that the former president may not fully grasp the global impact of his administration’s decisions.
Risk of losing charitable status
There is mounting concern among non-profit organisations that Trump could issue executive orders to strip foundations like Gates’ of their tax-exempt status. Gates warned such moves could have chilling effects on global charitable giving.
“He Died Rich” Won’t Be His Legacy
Gates supports higher taxes and minimal inheritance
Gates also took the opportunity to reaffirm his stance against wealth hoarding. He said less than 1% of his wealth would be passed on to his children, and he backed a stronger estate tax to discourage dynastic wealth.
“There are too many urgent problems to solve,” Gates said. “When I die, I don’t want the headline to be ‘He died rich.’ I want it to be ‘He helped the world.’”
A Future of Uncertainty
Can Gates’ vision survive the Trump era?
Despite the scale of Gates’ philanthropic ambitions, he admitted that private philanthropy alone cannot replace the might of government-funded aid. USAID’s $44 billion annual budget simply can’t be matched by even the largest private foundations.
Gates warned that the current political tide—marked by populism, nationalism, and deep cuts to international cooperation—could undo decades of progress.
In Summary
The clash between Bill Gates and Elon Musk is more than a spat between billionaires—it is a symbol of the wider struggle over the role of government, philanthropy, and private power in shaping the future of humanity. With millions of lives at stake, the outcome of this debate could echo for decades to come.
