Melinda French Gates comments that a new wave of billionaire activists may not truly be philanthropists.
 |
| Melinda French Gates TAYLOR HILL/WIREIMAGE |
In an interview with The New York Times, Melinda French Gates, who recently made headlines by stepping away from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation—a foundation that has donated almost $80 billion since its establishment in 2000—shared her thoughts on the latest group of billionaires.
This group features notable figures such as Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and owner of X Corp.; Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter and CEO of Square; Bill Ackman, an American hedge fund manager; and Peter Thiel, PayPal co-founder and venture capitalist.
“[T]he individuals you mentioned haven’t shown much philanthropy yet,” she replied in the interview published online Sunday. “They make use of their voices and platforms, but I wouldn’t label them as philanthropists.”
The NYT interviewer grouped French Gates and her ex-husband, Bill, with Warren Buffet, noting that they all follow a more “traditional approach to philanthropy.” She was asked if she categorized Musk, Dorsey, Ackman, and Thiel differently because “they haven’t signed the Giving Pledge,” which is described as “a commitment by the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.”
“Some have” signed the pledge, she responded, “and I’m not saying that’s the way they must do it. But look at their actual record of donating to society. It’s minimal,” she added with a laugh. “So while Bill, Warren, and I may be considered philanthropists working in a certain way, I don’t think it’s fair to compare us to this group who, in my view, are not philanthropists at all.”
French Gates was also asked about her recent decision to engage more publicly in politics. In June, she made her first endorsement of President Joe Biden, and after his withdrawal from the presidential race, she publicly supported Vice President Kamala Harris.
She explained that she felt compelled to speak out following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which ruled that the Constitution does not protect the right to an abortion and thereby left the power to regulate abortion to elected officials.
“After the Dobbs decision, I knew I had to advocate for women’s rights,” French Gates said. “If there was a candidate who opposed women’s rights and made harmful remarks about women, I couldn’t vote for that person.
The decision’s severe repercussions—on maternal health, Black women, and areas where women now struggle to access quality maternal care—made it clear that if I truly believe in women’s rights, I needed to speak out.
Women will play a crucial role in this election, and women in battleground states must voice their needs, rights, and support for our democracy. That’s why it was so crucial to me, though it wasn’t an easy choice.”
Following her endorsement of Biden, Musk commented on X that her support “[m]ight be the downfall of western civilization.” French Gates described his reaction as “silly.”
