Musk, Gates Clash Over USAID Cuts and Ethics

At the Qatar Economic Forum, Elon Musk publicly criticized Bill Gates for his comments that Musk's leadership in cutting USAID funding is 'killing the world's poorest children.' Musk questioned Gates' credibility on child welfare by referencing Gates' past association with Jeffrey Epstein and making a pointed remark about not trusting him to babysit. Gates has warned that the deep cuts to global aid programs could cause millions of additional child deaths and reverse progress against diseases like HIV and polio. Musk demanded evidence for these claims and asserted that DOGE had uncovered significant fraud within USAID. The confrontation spotlighted escalating tensions between the two billionaires, each accusing the other of undermining global health or lacking moral authority. The exchange has intensified debate over the ethics of philanthropy and the impact of U.S. foreign aid reductions.