When Elon Musk closed down USAID, it made Bill Gates furious. The relationship between Elon Musk and Bill Gates was like fire and water, and long-distance verbal confrontations were nothing new between them.
When Elon Musk closed down USAID, the American public cheered, but Bill Gates was so angry that he jumped up and down. He immediately took to social media to express his dissatisfaction. However, Elon Musk dismissed it outright, saying, “I don’t have time for your sneaky games.”
Why are Elon Musk and Bill Gates so incompatible? The roots of their conflict trace back to 2020 when Bill Gates invested in COVID-19 vaccine development and launched a massive promotion campaign. The American public accused him of attempting to control humanity through vaccines. Though Bill Gates insisted the vaccine protected people from the virus, the public remained unconvinced, believing he had become the world’s richest man by first creating the “poison” (the virus) and then selling the “antidote” (the vaccine).
Surprisingly, these two adversaries were actually former classmates. It’s reported that Bill Gates majored in Computer Science and Mathematics – one of the most prestigious programs at the time – while Elon Musk studied Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. Both were considered geniuses in their fields.
However, Elon Musk never showed much interest in Bill Gates as their academic paths didn’t overlap. This changed in 2020 when the pandemic erupted. When public criticism of Bill Gates intensified, Elon Musk publicly voiced strong support for the accusers.
After acquiring Twitter in 2023, Elon Musk immediately instructed its board of directors and recommended his successor. What’s his real motive behind acquiring Twitter? Could it be an attempt to outdo Bill Gates? Given the depth of their animosity, this seems highly probable.
However, the Twitter acquisition has strained Elon Musk’s capital chain. Let’s hope this doesn’t lead to unfavorable consequences for him.
