Donald Trump's offensive against foreign aid prompts Bill Gates to accelerate the donation of his fortune, while he delivers a devastating critique of Elon Musk.
By 2045
As he celebrates the 25th anniversary of the foundation he co-founded with his ex-wife in 2000, Bill Gates announces his intention to close the organization by 2045 and donate almost his entire fortune by then.
His plans
In an interview with The New York Times, Bill Gates reveals that he has recently revised his plans to accelerate the donation of virtually his entire fortune through the Gates Foundation. By accelerating the liquidation of his fortune, Bill Gates plans to add $3 billion a year to his humanitarian aid budget, bringing it to a total of $9 billion annually for the next 20 years.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump
He explained that this decision was prompted by the major budget cuts implemented by Elon Musk and Donald Trump since their recent accession to power, notably those targeting the American agency USAID, even though humanitarian aid had already been severely weakened in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Crucial importance
The billionaire describes the massive cuts imposed on USAID as «stunning», far beyond the expected 20%, with estimates as high as 80%. He asserts that these cuts affect programs of crucial global importance, and that the resulting damage is likely to dramatically impair the progress made over the last 25 years in humanitarian aid and research, particularly with regard to child mortality.
The last 25 years
The billionaire points out that, in his view, massive humanitarian aid over the past 25 years has reduced the number of child deaths worldwide from 10 million to 5 million a year.
The number of deaths
He estimates that this figure could have fallen to 4 million this year. However, with the drastic cuts imposed by the DOGE program, headed by Elon Musk in accordance with the wishes of Donald Trump and his administration, the number of deaths could now climb back up to 6 million a year.
A devastating quote
Bill Gates also had some harsh words for Elon Musk, saying that while he could perhaps become a great philanthropist one day, for now: «The world’s richest man has been involved in the deaths of the world’s poorest children.»