Melinda French Gates says the new generation of billionaires, like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, are now using their “megaphones” rather than their bank accounts to bring about change.
In an interview with The New York Times, Gates was asked what she thought of the approach to philanthropy taken by the new generation of “billionaire activists” — such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and PayPal founder Peter Thiel.
“The people you just mentioned are not very philanthropic yet,” French Gates replied. “They use their voices and their megaphones, but I would not call these men philanthropists.”
In May, Gates announced her intention to step down from her role as co-chair of the Gates Foundation, which she founded with her former husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
In her announcement, she said she would remain committed to “the people and organizations working on behalf of women and families around the world, including on reproductive rights in the United States.”
In January, Elon Musk criticized French Gates’ decision to endorse President Joe Biden in the 2024 election, saying the move “could be the downfall of Western civilization.” French Gates has since endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the most likely Democratic nominee after Biden withdrew from the race earlier this month. In endorsing Harris, French Gates underscored the need for a leader who will defend abortion rights.
French Gates also told the Times that she found Musk’s criticism of her political activism “stupid.”
Asked to elaborate, French Gates said she believes tech CEOs frequently give advice on topics in which they are not experts.
“I’ve seen over the years tech executives asked about their parenting style,” Gates said. “A guy who spent, you know, 60 hours at his company that week, and I’m sure he’s a fantastic CEO and he’s done a great job. But then you ask them about their parenting, and they’re spouting all this stuff, and you’re like, there’s something wrong here, so just — some of those comments just seem ridiculous to me.”
French Gates told the Times that she decided to get involved in politics after the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, the half-century-old decision that protected abortion rights.
“I knew I had to speak out for women’s rights, and if there was a candidate who was against women’s rights and said terrible things about women, there was no way I was going to vote for that person,” she said.
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