Bill Gates has spoken out against Elon Musk, accusing him of making choices that are hurting children in the world’s poorest countries. In a recent interview with Financial Times, Gates said that Musk’s actions as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have led to a major drop in foreign aid. Gates believes these cuts are putting young lives at risk and undoing years of progress in global health.
Gates Warns of Life-and-Death Consequences
Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and long-time global health advocate, did not hold back. In strong words, he said, “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one.” His statement was aimed at Elon Musk, who leads DOGE, a government agency tasked with reducing waste and making departments more efficient.
Gates claims that Musk’s efforts to reduce spending went too far, especially in the area of foreign aid. Many of the cuts affected programs that help fight deadly diseases like measles, HIV, malaria, and polio. According to Gates, this has slowed or even reversed progress in some of the poorest parts of the world.
Foreign Aid Cuts Linked to Trump-Era Policies
Gates linked Musk’s actions to the broader goals of the Trump administration, which pushed for a smaller government and lower spending on global programs. Under this agenda, DOGE was given the job of reviewing and cutting programs seen as costly or inefficient.
But Gates says cutting foreign aid was a mistake. “We’re talking about low-cost, high-impact aid,” he said. “Vaccines, food supplies, and disease prevention. These programs save millions of lives.” Gates warned that without this aid, many children are now at risk of dying from preventable diseases.
Global Health at Risk
The Gates Foundation has spent billions to improve health in developing countries. Their focus includes vaccines, better sanitation, clean water, and access to medicine. Gates believes these efforts were finally making a difference. For example, polio was nearly wiped out, and child deaths from malaria had dropped sharply over the past 20 years.
Now, those gains may be at risk. “When funding is cut, the work stops,” Gates said. “That means fewer children get vaccinated. More people get sick. And more lives are lost.”
Elon Musk’s Role as DOGE Head
Elon Musk is best known as the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. But in his role as head of DOGE, he was given a different task: to find ways to make the U.S. government more efficient. He focused on reducing waste and increasing the use of technology in public services.
Supporters of Musk say he is doing exactly what DOGE was created to do. They argue that taxpayer money should be used wisely and that the U.S. should take care of its own problems before helping other nations. They also point out that foreign aid makes up a small part of the overall budget, and the cuts were not as deep as critics claim.
Gates Pushes Back With His Own Pledge
In response to what he sees as a growing need, Gates has promised to give away $200 billion of his fortune by 2045. Most of this money will go toward health, education, and climate change programs in the world’s poorest regions.
“I can’t sit by and watch children die from things we already know how to prevent,” Gates said. “We have the tools. We just need the will.”
His foundation has already pledged more funding in 2025 for vaccine programs and food relief efforts. Gates is also working with other wealthy donors to create a new emergency fund for global health crises.
Experts Warn of Long-Term Effects
Global health experts agree that aid cuts could have serious long-term effects. Dr. Lina Reynolds, an expert in international medicine, says, “Diseases don’t respect borders. If we let them spread in one country, they can come back to others. Aid is not just charity—it’s also smart policy.”
She added that the timing is also a problem. Many aid groups are still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. They need more support, not less.
The Debate Continues
Musk has not yet responded to Gates’ comments, but the issue is sparking debate online. Some people side with Gates, saying that aid is a moral duty. Others believe that Musk is doing the right thing by focusing on cutting government waste.
What’s clear is that the world is watching. As two of the most powerful men on Earth debate the future of foreign aid, millions of lives hang in the balance.
