Tensions between two of the world’s most famous billionaires exploded this week when Elon Musk delivered a scathing response to Bill Gates, who accused him of causing “millions of deaths” by supporting the Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum, Gates blasted Musk over his role in backing the Department of Government Efficiency’s investigation into USAID, which uncovered years of waste, fraud, and funding links to anti-American causes—including terrorist groups. The agency was formally dissolved in April as part of Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.”

Gates painted a dire picture, alleging that shutting down USAID would result in the deaths of children around the globe and the collapse of humanitarian safety nets. Musk wasn’t having it.

“Maybe Gates shouldn’t be around children,” Musk quipped during a press gaggle shortly after the interview aired—an unmistakable jab referencing Gates’ long-documented ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex trafficker who died under suspicious circumstances in 2019.

The feud between Musk and Gates has simmered for years, but this latest exchange may mark its most personal turn yet. Gates’ relationship with Epstein reportedly played a role in the collapse of his marriage to Melinda French Gates in 2021, and he has since admitted his involvement with Epstein was a “huge mistake.”

That “mistake” involved multiple meetings and attempts by Epstein to insert himself into Gates’ philanthropic world, allegedly even trying to blackmail him over a rumored affair with a Russian bridge player.

Musk’s remark wasn’t just a comeback—it was a calculated reminder of Gates’ personal baggage, one that many critics say the media has quietly minimized over the years. For Musk’s supporters, it was a long-overdue rebuttal to the high-profile moralizing that has often come from Gates’ side.

The underlying dispute—about the future of U.S. foreign aid—has become a defining policy flashpoint in Trump’s second term. The White House maintains that USAID had become a bloated and unaccountable vehicle for globalist pet projects and was not fulfilling its original mission. A recent audit found mismanagement of billions in funds and partnerships with sketchy NGOs linked to anti-Western regimes.

Gates, who has invested heavily in vaccine distribution and global health initiatives, insists the agency played a vital role in saving lives. But critics argue his defense of USAID is as much about protecting his own legacy as it is about humanitarianism.

As Trump’s administration continues redirecting aid toward domestic priorities and tougher border enforcement, the broader debate over America’s role abroad is heating up again—and Musk, never shy about wading into controversy, has made it clear he’s backing the shift.

With Gates pointing fingers and Musk sharpening the knives, the clash between old-guard globalists and tech-age nationalists just got a lot more personal—and a lot more revealing.