In a Wall Street Journal interview published Saturday, Bill Gates has shared his thoughts on Elon Musk’s role in influencing the political landscape and his stewardship of theDOGE Project.
Gates, although not having spoken directly to Musk in over 18 months, remains impressed with Elon’s multifaceted engagements and notes that the world’s richest person is a member of the Giving Pledge founded by Gates and fellow billionaire Warren Buffett.
The Microsoft co-founder praised Musk’s approach to evaluating government expenditure with what he described as a zero-based budgeting method, suggesting that it’s a “valuable thing.”
“I’m amongst the people who think the deficit needs to be brought down, because otherwise, it will create a financial problem for us,” the philanthropist said of the “Department of Government Efficiency” project, heralded by Musk as part of the Trump administration.
“He finds time to do a lot of things,” Gates further remarked on Musk, noting the latter’s controversial engagement with European politics.
On the topic of DOGE, Gates was asked to imagine himself in Musk’s shoes in charge of the project. He stressed the importance of scrutinizing every aspect of spending, including pensions, defense, and healthcare. “They’ll have to look at everything,” he said, suggesting that most departments might need a reduction by 10 to 15%.
Gates further cautioned against drastic budget cuts, particularly in initiatives with long-term benefits. He underscored the importance of safeguarding programs like HIV medication, which play a critical role in saving lives worldwide, especially in Africa.
“I hope the value system still includes the half a percent that saves all those lives,” he commented, referencing the United States’ efforts in maintaining healthcare lifelines.
While Gates recognized that certain budgets could indeed be optimized, he highlighted the moral imperative of preventing cuts that would jeopardize lives or diminish the nation’s global goodwill.
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