Bill Gates Pledges $200B Giveaway by 2045, Slams Musk Over Foreign Aid Cuts

Bill Gates has announced a bold plan to give away nearly all his fortune—$200 billion USD by 2045—through the Gates Foundation. The 69-year-old Microsoft co-founder made the announcement on the foundation’s 25th anniversary, saying the money would directly target the world’s most pressing issues: eradicating deadly diseases, reducing child and maternal mortality, and alleviating global poverty.

But it wasn’t just a feel-good moment. Gates also took a direct swipe at Elon Musk, accusing the world’s richest man of “killing the world’s poorest children” by backing massive cuts to U.S. foreign aid.

A Race Against Time: Closing the Foundation by 2045

Gates confirmed the foundation will shut its doors on December 31, 2045, years earlier than originally planned. By then, he expects the foundation will have spent $200 billion, nearly his entire fortune, with an annual budget of up to $10 billion starting in 2026.

The decision comes amid devastating cuts to U.S. international aid programs under President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Many of these programs previously funded life-saving health initiatives through USAID, the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Gates warned, “Millions more deaths” could occur over the next four to six years as the result of these budget slashes.

A Public Clash with Elon Musk

Gates didn’t hold back. He said Musk, who brags about gutting USAID through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is fueling a humanitarian crisis.

“The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one,” Gates told the Financial Times.

Musk responded bluntly on X, calling Gates “a huge liar.”

Foreign Aid Cuts: A Global Risk

Under Musk’s direction, the U.S. plans to cut up to 80% of USAID programs, which previously totaled $44 billion in global spending. These included efforts to combat malaria, polio, and widespread famine in vulnerable regions.

Gates stressed that philanthropy cannot replace government action. He believes governments must recommit to global health and humanitarian aid, adding, “There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources.”

Gates Foundation Legacy: $100 Billion Already Given

Since its founding in 2000, the Gates Foundation has given away $100 billion, supporting organizations like Gavi and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Gates said polio, for example, won’t be eradicated without U.S. government funding.

While the foundation has faced criticism for its outsized influence in global health without formal accountability, Gates insists the goal remains clear: save lives.

Looking Ahead

Despite political obstacles, Gates remains hopeful. “I think governments will come back to caring about children surviving,” he said.

The next two decades will determine whether that hope becomes a reality—or if private philanthropy will be left to pick up the pieces.

Do you think billionaires like Bill Gates should take on more responsibility when governments step back? Or should aid always remain a public duty?

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