Microsoft’s co-founder, Bill Gates, is taking significant action by committing to donate 99% of his $108 billion fortune by 2045. This announcement coincided with his critical remarks towards fellow billionaire Elon Musk, particularly regarding Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration’s policies that adversely impacted international aid funds.

In Gates’ blog post, he outlined three primary objectives of the Gates Foundation: 1) to eliminate preventable diseases affecting mothers and children, 2) to combat infectious diseases such as malaria and measles, and 3) to lift millions out of poverty. He accused not only Musk but also countries like the UK and France of reducing aid to poorer nations.

Gates expressed concern, quoting: “It’s unclear whether the world’s richest countries will continue to stand up for its poorest people. But the one thing we can guarantee is that, in all of our work, the Gates Foundation will support efforts to help people and countries pull themselves out of poverty.”

In a more pointed critique, Gates commented, “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one,” citing Musk’s actions in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as a factor in detrimental budget cuts at the US Agency for International Development.

Highlighting the ramifications, Gates called attention to a hospital in Gaza Province, Mozambique, where funds were misallocated, resulting in severe consequences for the community’s health.

Gates remarked, “I’d love for [Musk] to go in and meet the children that have now been infected with HIV because he cut that money.”

The growing tensions between these two billionaires are evident, with Gates also referencing Musk’s dismissal of USAID as “a criminal organization,” indicating Musk’s lack of awareness regarding the agency’s functions. It’s a clash of perspectives between two prominent figures on philanthropy and global assistance.