Billionaire Bill Gates is back in the headlines—this time throwing a full-blown fit over Elon Musk’s recommendation to cut the bloated budget of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Gates, apparently clutching his pearls, told the Financial Times that Musk’s move is basically responsible for “killing the world’s poorest children.”
Yes, really. That’s the level of drama we’re at. Shall we talk about all of the children in third world countries that died after Gates showed up with vaccines? Hmmmm….
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under President Trump, followed Musk’s advice and shut down USAID earlier this year. Whatever scraps were left got folded into the State Department. Gates, who’s been buddying up with USAID through his foundation for years, was not pleased.
In the interview, Gates whined that the cuts were too fast and claimed life-saving food and medicine were left to rot in warehouses. He even blamed the Trump administration’s move for the return of diseases like measles, HIV, and polio.
“The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one,” Gates told the Times.
🔥🚨BREAKING NEWS: Bill Gates announced he is giving away nearly all of his $200 billion wealth while leaving only 1% for himself, as he shuts down the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and claims Elon Musk is 'killing' world's poorest children. pic.twitter.com/IamrHItY91
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) May 8, 2025
And in classic tech-elite fashion, he made sure to blame Musk directly, saying that DOGE made mass layoffs at USAID without even understanding what the agency did. Apparently, trimming unnecessary government fat is only okay if it doesn’t mess with Gates’ global projects.
To top it off, Gates chose the same day to announce that he plans to give away almost all his money over the next 20 years—around $200 billion—before closing the Gates Foundation for good. He said the goal is to make the biggest splash possible in global health, development, and education before riding off into the billionaire sunset.
“It gives us clarity,” Gates said. “We’ll have a lot more money because we’re spending down over the 20 years, as opposed to making an effort to be a perpetual foundation.”
And for those wondering if his kids will inherit his fortune, don’t count on it. Gates made it clear they’re getting less than 1 percent. Apparently, solving “urgent problems” comes before being a dad.
“People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them,”Gates said in a letter explaining his decision. “There are too many urgent problems to solve.”
So to recap: Elon Musk cuts waste, Gates panics, diseases are apparently Musk’s fault now, and the world’s richest elite keeps playing savior while taking jabs at anyone who dares challenge the status quo. Business as usual in billionaire land.