Bill Gates accuses Elon Musk of ‘harming the world’s poorest children’ with DOGE cuts

: Bill Gates criticizes Elon Musk's work with the Department of Government Efficiency, specifically targeting substantial budget cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which he claims have severely hurt efforts to prevent diseases such as HIV in impoverished regions. Gates expresses his disapproval in interviews, labeling the reduction of the USAID budget, which he estimates represents an 80% cut, as more severe than anticipated, causing significant harm to some of the world's poorest children. He points out that Musk's initial promise to slash $2 trillion from government spending through his pseudo-agency has largely failed, with only $5.02 billion verified as savings, representing a minute fraction of the objective. Musk's claim of $50 million government spending on condoms for Hamas was flagged by Gates as a misguided belief leading to the misguided retraction of vital healthcare grants in Mozambique.

In a comprehensive critique, Bill Gates has taken issue with Elon Musk's involvement in significant budget cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Gates's concerns primarily revolve around Elon Musk’s drastic funding reductions under his pseudo-government agency DOGE, which Gates perceives as harmful to vulnerable children worldwide. According to Gates, Musk's actions equate to unprecedented harm rather than philanthropy.

Bill Gates voiced his concerns in an interview with the Financial Times where he mentioned the severe impact of Musk’s policies, particularly in a region such as Gaza Province in Mozambique. Previously established grants intended to prevent HIV transmission to children in these localities were rescinded due to Musk’s allegations of government expenditures on non-critical items like condoms.

Analyzing the impact, Gates was dismayed to learn that Musk’s funding cutbacks to USAID were around 80%, far beyond the 20% Gates had initially anticipated. Instead of seeing potential improvement from Musk’s approach, Gates foresees millions of preventable child deaths resulting from these policy shifts. Furthermore, the collapse in funding casts doubt on the recovery capabilities of aid organizations even if part of the funding is eventually restored.

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency originally claimed it would reduce government spending by $2 trillion, although this narrative has faltered as investigations by Musk Watch identified only $5.02 billion in actual savings. This shortfall has intensified skepticism regarding the true purpose and effectiveness of Musk's cost-cutting strategies.

As the global humanitarian aid trend declines, Bill Gates remarks that there is a lack of contingency plans to mitigate the gaps left by Musk's policy outcomes. Gates's frustration is palpable as he condemns this process of incrementally dismantling essential funding structures without consideration of the long-term consequences. This broad and complex matter underscores gate-keepers' roles in multinational priorities as they navigate these unexpected funding erosions.

Gizmodo, Financial Times, New York Times, CNN