The continuing feud between billionaires Elon Musk and Bill Gates entered a new chapter this week. Gates criticized Musk for utilizing his vast fortune on space travel and not for what he considers more philanthropic causes such as vaccines.
Gates, who is the sixth-richest person on the planet with a net worth of $105 billion, took issue with the fellow billionaire’s desire to send people to Mars.
In an interview with the BBC, the 67-year-old Microsoft co-founder was asked if he would encourage Musk to join his “club of mega-philanthropists.” The group is a reference to The Giving Pledge – a campaign founded by Gates, his ex-wife Melinda French Gates, and billionaire investor Warren Buffett for “philanthropists to give the majority of their wealth to charitable causes, either during their lifetimes or in their will.”
“I think some day he’ll be a great philanthropist,” Gates said of Musk, adding, “Things like Tesla are having a positive impact even without being a form of philanthropy.”
BBC broadcaster Amol Rajan asked Gates if space travel to Mars was a wise use of money, and he replied, “Not in my view.”
Gates said that there are “definitely” more pressing issues on Earth to focus on.
Gates noted, “It’s actually quite expensive to go to Mars.”
Instead of space travel, Gates told Musk to focus his vast resources on vaccines.
“You can buy measles vaccines and save lives for a thousand dollars per life saved,” Gates said. “It just kind of grounds you. Don’t go to Mars.”
Musk, who is the second-wealthiest person in the world with a net worth of $184 billion, has yet to respond publicly to the comments made by Gates.
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