Bill Gates criticizes Musk for “death of the world’s poorest children”

“Child deaths, which were supposed to go from five million to four million in the next few years — now, unless there’s a major change, we’re going to go from five million to probably six million,” Bill Gates said in an interview with The New York Times . The philanthropist accuses Trump and Musk of being responsible for this situation by cutting USAID support funds. “The reductions in USAID are staggering. I thought we would have a cut of about 20 percent. Instead, it’s now an 80 percent cut. And yeah, I didn’t expect this. I don’t think anyone expected it.”

The federal funding cuts are affecting the Gates Foundation and will impact its ability to provide aid. It was also in this interview that Gates confirmed that he will donate 99% of his fortune to the Foundation and that it will close in 2045, earlier than expected. With this donation, the Foundation will accelerate its aid and is expected to spend an additional $200 billion over the next 20 years.

Regarding Elon Musk, Gates says that Trump’s efficiency czar may even end up donating his fortune to the Giving Pledge, but reveals an interesting aspect: “one unusual aspect of it [the Giving Pledge] is that you can wait until you die and then donate. So who knows? He [Musk] could end up being a great philanthropist. Meanwhile, the richest man in the world is involved in the deaths of the world’s poorest children.”