Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is raising alarms over Elon Musk’s role in the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a move driven by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and backed by the Trump administration. The agency’s operations have been suspended, and its funding frozen, sparking backlash from global health advocates, including Gates.
While Gates acknowledged Musk’s private sector achievements as “innovative” and “fantastic,” he warned that transitioning into government without fully understanding the impact of public programs can have serious consequences. “I’m a little worried, particularly with this USAID stuff,” Gates said in a recent interview. “My foundation partners with USAID on vaccines and nutrition. These are incredible people doing life-saving work — they’re not just bureaucrats.”
He cautioned that eliminating USAID programs could result in catastrophic outcomes, including “literally millions of deaths,” if critical services like vaccine distribution and nutrition support are lost.
Gates, through his foundation, has reportedly been lobbying Washington officials to preserve international aid efforts, arguing that private philanthropy cannot fill the void left by U.S. government funding. “No foundation can replace the role of the U.S. government,” the Gates Foundation emphasized in a statement, urging a coordinated strategy to continue supporting vulnerable populations globally.
Meanwhile, Musk’s DOGE initiative has launched a sweeping investigation into USAID, which has uncovered alleged financial abuses and mismanagement. According to Rep. Keith Self (R-TX), USAID officials could face criminal referrals following findings that suggest misuse of taxpayer dollars.
Pete Marocco, USAID’s deputy administrator-designate, briefed the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the probe’s early results, revealing that potential fraud and misconduct could implicate both agency staff and grantees. “If they’re detecting outright fraud… then absolutely, those responsible should be prosecuted,” said Rep. Self.
The review, conducted under President Trump’s directive, focuses on what officials call USAID’s “decentralized accountability,” which allowed foreign aid funds to be misused without sufficient oversight. According to sources who attended the Capitol Hill briefing, the scale of “waste, fraud, and abuse” was worse than originally believed, and multiple criminal referrals to the Department of Justice are under serious consideration.
This developing situation highlights growing tensions between private-sector-led efficiency efforts and long-established humanitarian programs, with critics warning that dismantling agencies like USAID without careful consideration could jeopardize global health and stability.
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