“Bill Gates is a liar…” Elon Musk targets Microsoft co-founder again over USAID death narrative

Elon Musk and Bill Gates are back in a public feud, and this time the trigger is foreign aid and global health claims linked to cuts in USAID funding.

For first-time readers, here’s the context. USAID stands for the United States Agency for International Development. It is a U.S. government agency that sends financial assistance to developing and low-income countries. This support is used for vaccination programmes, disease prevention, hospital funding, food distribution, disaster relief, maternal health, sanitation projects, and education. USAID has historically been one of the biggest donors to health campaigns that tackle measles outbreaks, HIV treatment, and polio eradication in parts of Africa and Asia. Many hospitals and NGOs in these regions have depended on USAID grants to provide medicines, run medical camps, and deliver vaccines to children.

Earlier this year, when Donald Trump began his second term as U.S. President, Musk was appointed to co-lead DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, a task force created to cut federal spending. One of DOGE’s most controversial moves was shutting down USAID’s independent operations and freezing large parts of its funding. Musk openly criticised the agency, even calling it a “criminal organisation” and celebrating the decision to stop taxpayer money from flowing overseas. His supporters echoed similar arguments, saying that the U.S. should prioritise domestic needs instead of funding health and population programmes in Africa. Some critics also questioned why private foundations don’t fill the funding gap instead of relying on American taxpayers.

Bill Gates strongly opposed this move. In May, during an interview, Gates criticised Musk, saying that slashing USAID funding could reverse years of progress against infectious diseases and put children at risk. He also alleged that hospitals in Gaza province, Mozambique lost important grants, which he believes may have impacted HIV transmission control. Gates urged Musk to meet affected children and see the consequences himself, framing his criticism as a moral concern about a billionaire influencing policies that determine aid for vulnerable communities.