Elon Musk takes brutal swipe at Bill Gates as he discusses relationship with Jeffrey Epstein

Elon Musk and Bill Gates are once again at odds, trading sharp words in what’s becoming an increasingly public and personal feud between two of the world’s most well-known billionaires.

Recently, Gates criticized Musk over his ties to a U.S. government department called DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), which played a role in cutting back several federal programs—especially those involved in international aid. One of the biggest targets of those cuts was the U.S.

Agency for International Development (USAID), a major global provider of humanitarian aid. In 2023 alone, USAID gave out more than \$40 million in assistance worldwide. Musk had publicly labeled the agency a “criminal organization” and said it was “time for it to die.” The agency employed around 10,000 people and was heavily involved in efforts like HIV prevention and global health aid.

Gates slammed Musk for backing those actions, saying the funding cuts hurt the world’s poorest people, particularly children who depended on those health programs. In an interview, Gates said, “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one. I’d love for him to go in and meet the children that have now been infected with HIV because he cut that money.”

Musk didn’t stay quiet. At the Qatar Economic Forum, he fired back hard. When asked about Gates’ criticism, Musk responded with a pointed and personal attack: “Who does Bill Gates think he is to make comments about the welfare of children, given that he frequented Jeffrey Epstein? I wouldn’t want that guy to babysit my kids.”

This wasn’t the first time Musk brought up Gates’ past connections to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who was convicted as a sex offender. Gates has admitted he met with Epstein multiple times in the early 2010s, often at Epstein’s New York mansion. According to reports, the meetings were supposedly about philanthropy, particularly global health initiatives. However, Gates has since called those meetings a “huge mistake” and said he regrets ever being associated with Epstein.

In a 2025 interview, Gates said he thought Epstein might help with health causes, but that turned out to be completely wrong. “I was quite stupid,” Gates said. “It failed to do that and was just a huge mistake.” His representatives have also said that Epstein tried to exploit the relationship for his own benefit and that Gates never allowed it to go beyond charitable discussions.

Musk’s jab at Gates has stirred up strong reactions, with some calling it brutal and others accusing both men of letting personal drama distract from important issues like global health and ethics in leadership.

In short, what started as a disagreement over foreign aid and humanitarian funding has spiraled into a very public battle, with each billionaire digging into the other’s past and questioning their character.