Bill Gates recently shared his criticism towards Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his involvement with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in a recent interview with the New York Times. Gates expressed his concern over the funding cuts for programs aimed at helping children abroad, particularly referencing the cuts made to the funding going to Gaza Province in Mozambique. He highlighted the importance of such funding in preventing the spread of diseases like HIV among newborns and expressed his disappointment in the lack of knowledge among those making the cuts.
Gates also expressed surprise at the extent of the cuts implemented by the Trump administration through DOGE, noting that he expected a 20% cut to U.S.A.I.D. funding but was shocked to see an 80% reduction instead. This drastic cut has raised concerns for Gates, who predicted that it could lead to millions of additional deaths among children in need.
Elon Musk, on the other hand, was not spared from Gates’ criticism during the interview. Gates pointed out that Musk was the driving force behind the cuts to U.S.A.I.D. budget and suggested that Musk’s actions could be contributing to the deaths of the world’s poorest children. In response, Musk took to social media to call Gates a “huge liar,” further escalating the tension between the two tech giants.
The strained relationship between Gates and Musk is not new, with Gates previously making a $500 million short bet against Tesla, leading to friction between the two. In Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk, Gates revealed that Musk was “super mean” to him after learning about the short bet, although Gates acknowledged that Musk’s behavior was not unusual given his reputation for being tough on critics.
Overall, the feud between Bill Gates and Elon Musk continues to play out publicly, with both tech moguls trading barbs and accusations. Their conflicting views on philanthropy, business practices, and personal interactions have kept their relationship contentious and headline-worthy.