The bitter public feud between tech giants Elon Musk and Bill Gates has escalated, as Gates blames Musk for cutting off aid to vulnerable populations—while Musk counters by questioning Gates’ moral authority over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Gates recently accused Musk of contributing to “millions of potential deaths” by slashing the budget of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Speaking to The New York Times Magazine and Financial Times, the Microsoft co-founder said the cuts—carried out under the Trump-backed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where Musk holds influence—have gutted key global health initiatives.
“These programs were preventing HIV, polio, measles—saving lives,” Gates said. He cited one case in Gaza Province, Mozambique, where funding reportedly ended for a hospital that had been helping stop mother-to-child HIV transmission.
But Musk didn’t hold back in his response. Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO dismissed Gates' claims as “completely false” and called him a “huge liar.”
More pointedly, Musk brought up Gates’ relationship with Epstein. “Who does Bill Gates think he is to lecture anyone about the welfare of children, given that he was very close with Jeffrey Epstein?” Musk said. “I wouldn't want that guy to babysit my kid.”
Musk has repeatedly demanded that Gates provide hard evidence that DOGE’s cuts are killing children. “Show us any evidence whatsoever. It’s false,” he stated.
Gates’ connection to Epstein has been the subject of public scrutiny for years. According to The New York Times, the two met multiple times in 2011—well after Epstein had served jail time and registered as a sex offender. In one leaked email following a visit to Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse, Gates wrote: “A very attractive Swedish woman and her daughter dropped by and I ended up staying there quite late.”
Gates has since acknowledged the meetings were a mistake and denied any deeper relationship with Epstein. He has repeatedly said he hoped Epstein could help raise philanthropic funds, but those efforts never materialized.
The current clash spotlights the stark contrast between two billionaires with global influence: Gates argues for sustained U.S. foreign aid to combat disease and poverty, while Musk, now operating within the Trump administration, is pushing for government efficiency and massive spending cuts.
At its core, the fight isn’t just about aid budgets—it’s about legacy, moral credibility, and the power these men wield in shaping the lives of people far beyond Silicon Valley.
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The UN's International Maritime Organization has paused escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was reportedly attacked near Oman, with two U.S. officials accusing Iran of the attack.
The United Nations' top human rights official has called for independent investigations into deaths in U.S. immigration detention facilities, citing a rise in fatalities among people held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds are believed to be trapped under rubble, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
An aircraft roughly the size of a car crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper on Friday evening, triggering a major emergency response and a heavy police presence as authorities sealed off the area and gave no immediate explanation for the incident.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck Japan's northeast coast on Thursday, but no tsunami warning was issued, no injuries were immediately reported and no irregularities were found at nuclear facilities, the authorities said.
As Western Europe battles a deadly heatwave that has shattered temperature records, disrupted transport and power supplies, and forced the closure of schools and cultural landmarks, attention is turning to whether El Niño is playing a role in the extreme conditions.
The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution on Wednesday that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress formally authorised military action.
The Kremlin has denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming Moscow is pressuring Belarus to support an expanded Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds are believed to be trapped under rubble, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
The United Nations' top human rights official has called for independent investigations into deaths in U.S. immigration detention facilities, citing a rise in fatalities among people held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
An aircraft roughly the size of a car crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper on Friday evening, triggering a major emergency response and a heavy police presence as authorities sealed off the area and gave no immediate explanation for the incident.
Montenegrin police, working alongside the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation, have arrested an Iranian national accused of carrying out a series of cyberattacks that allegedly caused an estimated $3.4 billion in damage to U.S. infrastructure.
South Korea is set to dramatically expand its unmanned warfare capabilities, with plans to integrate drones across all branches of its military as tensions with North Korea continue to shape the country's defence strategy.
Fertiliser shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have begun to recover following an interim U.S.–Iran agreement aimed at stabilising the waterway after months of disruption during conflict, industry data shows.
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