Elon Musk has publicly criticized Bill Gates over his past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following Gates’ harsh critique of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Gates warned that the proposed government spending cuts under DOGE could result in “millions of deaths,” sparking a sharp response from Musk. Gates argued that slashing foreign aid through USAID would jeopardize children globally. However, he did not address concerns from many Americans who question whether U.S. taxpayers should continue funding foreign aid efforts.
“The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one,” Gates said earlier this month.
He also claimed Musk was responsible for ending grants to a hospital in Gaza, which had faced scrutiny after reports suggested some funds were diverted to provide condoms to Hamas.
USAID has long supplied contraceptives, including condoms, as part of its global public health programs aimed at reproductive health and disease prevention in underserved areas.
“I’d love for him to go in and meet the children that have now been infected with HIV because he cut that money,” Gates added.
Musk fired back, questioning Gates’ moral authority in light of his past relationship with Epstein.
“Who does Bill Gates think he is to make comments about the welfare of children, given that he was close friends with Jeffrey Epstein?” Musk asked.
“I wouldn’t want that guy to babysit my kid, I can tell you that,” he added.
Musk also challenged Gates to present proof that DOGE’s proposed budget cuts had harmed children in poor countries.
“Show us any evidence whatsoever that that is true. It’s false,” Musk said.
Reports confirm that Gates met with Epstein multiple times in 2011. The New York Times detailed one occasion when Gates stayed “late into the night” at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse. After one visit, Gates emailed colleagues, stating: “His lifestyle is very different and kind of intriguing although it would not work for me.”
The meetings occurred after Epstein had served jail time for soliciting sex from minors and had registered as a sex offender. On one notable visit, Gates was reportedly accompanied by a former Miss Sweden and her 15-year-old daughter. In a follow-up email, Gates wrote: “A very attractive Swedish woman and her daughter dropped by and I ended up staying there quite late.”
