 "Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk listens as then US President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with House Republicans at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Washington, DC, US on November 13, 2024. File Image/Reuters")
Elon Musk has entered an online brawl with Microsoft founder Bill Gates after the latter made a post on X criticising the Trump administration over its decision to cut health aid.
“The facts are simple and devastating: Aid cuts have already cost lives, and the number of deaths will continue to rise,” Gates wrote. Although the post does not mention Musk, the Tesla CEO took it upon himself to give a rebuttal.
An X user named John Hawkins shared Gates’ post, saying, “Bro, you are worth 117 billion dollars. If you really think aid cuts are costing lives, feel free to make up the difference.” Musk agreed with him, saying, “Exactly”.
“The real reason Bill Gates is unhappy is that HIS organization isn’t getting billions in US taxpayer money anymore,” he continued.
Notably, this isn’t the first time Elon Musk has taken a swipe at Bill Gates. In December last year, Musk remarked that Gates could face bankruptcy if Tesla ends up becoming “the world’s most valuable company by far.” In a post on X, he wrote, “If Tesla does become the world’s most valuable company by far, that short position will bankrupt even Bill Gates.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe tension between Elon Musk and Bill Gates stems from Gates’ reported short position against Tesla stock. As detailed in Walter Isaacson’s 2023 biography of Musk, this move allegedly resulted in a $1.5 billion loss for Gates.