Bill Gates accused Musk of "killing the poorest children," promised to donate $200 billion
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said he plans to give away $200 billion through his charitable foundation by 2045, accusing the world's richest man of "killing the world's poorest children" by cutting the US foreign aid budget, Reuters reports.
Gates wants to accelerate the donation of his fortune and close the charitable foundation on December 31, 2045 – several years earlier than previously planned.
He believes the money will help eradicate diseases like polio and malaria, reduce mortality among women and children, and end global poverty. The fund has already spent $100 billion.
At the same time, he sharply criticized Elon Musk for supporting a massive budget cut to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which funds health and hunger programs in developing countries.
"The picture of the richest man in the world killing the poorest children in the world is not very pleasant," Gates said.
Gates also noted that cuts to public funding for global health could lead to an increase in child mortality for the first time in decades.
He estimates that this amounts to millions of additional deaths over the next four to six years.
The Gates Foundation's annual budget will reach $9 billion by 2026 and about $10 billion annually thereafter.
At the same time, Gates warned the White House that his and other foundations would not be able to fill the gaps left by governments.
- Bill Gates secretly transferred $50 million to support Kamala Harris in the US elections.
- On April 3, Microsoft's 50th anniversary, Bill Gates opened up access to its first OS.
