Since Donald Trump was inaugurated into office on January 20 of this year, the environment in the United States and throughout the world has changed dramatically from 100 days ago.
Countless executive orders and decisions issued by the White House have had far-reaching consequences for the country and the world, making it difficult to choose the most contentious.
However, fellow billionaire Bill Gates has not overlooked Trump’s appointment of billionaire ‘First Buddy’ Elon Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in an effort to reduce the government workforce and save money.
However, the philanthropist is unimpressed with Musk’s cost-cutting attempts at DOGE, accusing him of ‘killing the world’s poorest children.’
DOGE has seen hundreds of organizations and departments shrink in recent months, notably in foreign assistance programs like the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which Musk described as a ‘criminal institution’ and said, ‘It’s time for it to die.’
USAID had around 10,000 employees and was the world’s largest single giver of humanitarian relief, spending more than $40 million globally in fiscal year 2023.
However, the world’s richest man regarded it as a drain on federal revenues and declared its closure.
“It became clear that it’s not an apple with a worm in it,” Musk explained at the time. “What we have is merely a ball of worms. You have to literally get rid of the entire thing.”
Gates is particularly critical of the initiatives to reduce US development abroad, calling them shortsighted.
In an interview with the Financial Times, the Microsoft co-founder stated, “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one.”
He went on to add that extreme cuts have resulted in life-saving medications and food supplies expiring in warehouses, while countries suddenly stripped of resources may experience an increase in illnesses such as measles, HIV, and polio.
Gates went on to accuse Musk of withdrawing money to help a hospital in Gaza that protects women from spreading HIV to their newborn kids, citing a bogus assertion that the US was giving condoms to Hamas in the region.
“I’d love for him to go in and meet the children who have now been infected with HIV because he cut that money,” he told me.
The comments come as the 69-year-old, also a millionaire, has already fought with Musk.
In 2012, Musk joined the Giving Pledge with hundreds of billionaires who committed to give away at least half of their money, but he told Gates the program was ‘bulls***.’
It also comes as Gates prepares to spend practically his entire fortune in the following decades before dissolving his Gates Foundation permanently in 2045.
He announced intentions to spend $200 billion on global health, development, and education to eradicate illnesses through vaccinations, maternal and child health, and HIV treatment.
However, he stated that his private efforts pale in comparison to the $44 billion deficit resulting from USAID cuts last year alone.
Nonetheless, in a letter describing his choice, Gates stated, “People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be among them. There are too many critical things to address.”