- Melinda French Gates thinks the new generation of billionaire activists isn’t doing enough.
- Gates also called Elon Musk’s criticism of his political support “foolish.”
- Gates says he will continue donating to organizations that support women’s rights.
Melinda French Gates says the new generation of billionaires, like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, are now primarily using their “megaphones” rather than their bank accounts to effect change.
In an interview with The New York Times, Gates was asked what she thinks of the approach to philanthropy demonstrated 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.
“Well, the people you just named haven’t been very philanthropic yet,” French Gates responded. “They use their voice and they use their megaphones, but I wouldn’t call these men philanthropists.”
In May, Gates announced her intention to step down as co-chair of the Gates Foundation, which she founded with her ex-husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
In her announcement, she said she would remain committed to “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 decision “could be the downfall of Western civilization.” French Gates has since endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the presumptive Democratic nominee after Biden dropped out of the race earlier this month. In his endorsement of Harris, French Gates emphasized the need for a leader who will champion abortion rights.
French Gates also told the Times that he found Musk’s criticism of his political activism “silly.”
Asked to elaborate, French Gates said she believes tech CEOs often give advice on things they are not experts in.
“I’ve just watched over the years tech leaders get interviewed about their parenting style,” Gates said. “A man who’s 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 they get asked about parenting, and they spew all this stuff, and you think, something doesn’t add up here, so just — some of those comments to me are kind of silly.”
French Gates told the Times that he decided to get involved in politics after the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, the half-century-old ruling 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.
