In a pointed interview with the Financial Times published Thursday, philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates sharply criticized Elon Musk for halting cooperation with USAID, accusing the billionaire of harming efforts to save lives in the world’s poorest regions.
“Some of the things he’s cut off weren’t just symbolic—they were lifelines,” Gates told FT. “When you take away tools from USAID that save lives in malaria zones or help children get vaccinated in remote areas, it’s not just policy—it’s deadly.”
Musk’s Response on X
Shortly after the interview was published, Elon Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond indirectly. He reposted a clip from The Joe Rogan Experience in which Rogan suggested that Gates may have had reasons for wanting Epstein-related files kept from the public.
Musk added a bull’s-eye emoji to the clip and shared it with his followers on Friday morning. The post can be viewed here:
Background: A History of Clashes
The public feud between Gates and Musk is long-running. They’ve traded jabs on climate change, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, and philanthropy. Gates, who champions institutional global development, sees Musk’s libertarian methods as reckless. Musk, meanwhile, often criticizes Gates for perceived hypocrisy and elitism—once mocking Gates for shorting Tesla stock while promoting clean tech.
Real-World Consequences?
While Gates didn’t name exact initiatives, USAID has historically partnered with private companies—including those with advanced satellite, AI, and logistics technology—for disease tracking, humanitarian aid, and emergency communication. The unraveling of these partnerships may limit delivery of essential services to fragile regions already suffering from war, poverty, or epidemics.
As billionaire influence on foreign aid and development continues to rise, the Gates-Musk feud spotlights a critical question: Should global health be guided by public consensus or private ideology?
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