'Killing children': Bill Gates rips Elon Musk over aid cuts to poor nations

Bill Gates accuses Elon Musk of endangering millions by shutting down USAID, warning that the move could reverse decades of progress in child health and survival globally

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has launched a sharp critique of Tesla chief Elon Musk, accusing the billionaire of “killing children” in impoverished nations by cutting the USAID budget.

 

Bill Gates slams Elon Musk over USAID shutdown

 

Gates, who recently announced that the Gates Foundation will wind down operations by 2045, told The Financial Times that Musk’s actions could have deadly consequences. “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one,” Gates said, blaming Musk for acting “through ignorance”.

 

Musk shuts USAID under cost-cutting mandate

 

Musk, who currently serves as a senior adviser to President Donald Trump and heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led a cost-cutting move that culminated in the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in February. At the time, Musk posted on X: “USAID is a criminal organisation. Time for it to die.” 

 

 

  DOGE, the department responsible for reducing federal spending, has been instrumental in the restructuring effort.

 

Gates warns of health crisis due to aid cuts

 

The 69-year-old billionaire warned that the abrupt end to USAID funding has already resulted in life-saving food and medicines expiring in warehouses. He cautioned that the cuts could fuel a resurgence in diseases such as polio, measles, and HIV, reversing global health gains.

 

In an interview with Reuters, Gates warned that declining government funding could undo decades of progress in reducing mortality rates over the next four to six years.

 

Bill Gates: Philanthropy can’t fill the gap alone

 

With the Gates Foundation’s annual budget expected to rise to $9 billion by 2026 — and roughly $10 billion annually thereafter — Gates said the foundation cannot replace government-scale funding.

 

“I think governments will come back to caring about children surviving,” he added, expressing cautious optimism about long-term political will.

 

Musk and Gates drift apart on aid philosophy

 

Although Musk and Gates once shared common ground on philanthropy, their views have sharply diverged. Asked whether he had tried to influence Musk’s stance, Gates said future aid decisions now rest with Congress. 

 

USAID to be merged with State Department by July

 

In March, reports indicated that the Trump administration is moving to dissolve USAID, merging its operations with the State Department by July 1, according to The Hill.

 

A reduction-in-force notice confirmed that remaining responsibilities will be phased out or transferred by September 2. Former DOGE staffer Jeremy Lewin, now with USAID, said the transition aligns with applicable laws and was endorsed by Secretary Rubio.

 

USAID, which once employed 10,000 people, now has 900. It has also been designated a national security agency under a recent executive order suspending union bargaining rights.