Elon Musk Accuses USAID of Corruption and Fraud, Questions Its Support for Children: “Like, Can We At Least See a Few Kids, Like, Where Are They?”

In a fiery exchange that has captivated global attention, Elon Musk fiercely challenged the credibility and efficacy of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), accusing the agency of rampant corruption and questioning whether it has ever truly supported the children it claims to help.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s scathing remarks came amid a heated public dispute with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who earlier accused Musk of “killing the world’s poorest children” through his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the drastic budget cuts it imposed on USAID.

Musk’s blunt and provocative statement—“Like, can we at least see a few kids, like, where are they?”—delivered during an interview with BBC journalist Mishal Husain at the Qatar Economic Forum, encapsulates his deep skepticism about USAID’s actual impact. He alleges that much of the agency’s resources have been lost to corruption and inefficiency, raising serious questions about the accountability of one of the world’s largest foreign aid organizations.

The clash between Musk and Gates has rapidly escalated this month, fueled by fundamentally different views on philanthropy, government intervention, and global aid. Bill Gates has been outspoken in his criticism of Musk’s approach since DOGE took the helm of U.S. foreign aid programs, particularly USAID.

Under Musk’s direction, DOGE has slashed over 80% of USAID’s overseas programs—a move Gates condemns as a humanitarian disaster.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Gates delivered a blunt assessment: “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one.” He warned that the cuts would leave essential food and medicines to rot in warehouses and potentially reverse decades of progress in combating preventable diseases and child mortality worldwide.

Musk, for his part, responded by dismissing Gates’ claims as fabrications. When challenged on whether these cuts might indeed cause millions of deaths, Musk retorted that USAID’s programs were rife with fraud and graft and questioned the very existence of beneficiaries.

His repeated demand to see the children supposedly helped by USAID’s programs—“Like, can we at least see a few kids, like, where are they?”—is a direct challenge to the narratives pushed by Gates and aid organizations.

Musk’s allegations are serious. By stating that DOGE uncovered an “enormous amount of fraud and graft” within USAID, he calls into question the integrity of a government agency that annually manages billions of dollars in foreign aid. While USAID has long been praised for its role in global health, education, and economic development, it has not been immune to criticism about inefficiencies and corruption.

Musk’s argument is that these systemic issues have rendered much of USAID’s work ineffective and that his department’s cuts and restructuring were necessary reforms. This line of reasoning appeals to his broader ethos of disruption and efficiency, seeking to overhaul what he views as bloated, wasteful government programs.

However, the harsh reality of the aid cuts has already begun to materialize in sensitive areas like HIV and AIDS relief. DOGE’s freeze on funding disrupted PEPFAR, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which has been instrumental in delivering life-saving HIV treatments worldwide.

Modeling by the United Nations AIDS agency projects that a permanent shutdown of PEPFAR-supported programs could lead to 4 million AIDS-related deaths by 2029—a catastrophic scenario that directly challenges Musk’s denial of harm. When this was pointed out to Musk by Husain, he appeared visibly irritated but offered a pragmatic response: “OK so which ones aren’t being funded? I’ll fix it right now.”

He then requested access to UNAIDS’ website for detailed information on program statuses.

This moment of potential accountability suggested that despite his aggressive rhetoric, Musk may be willing to address specific failures or oversights once made aware of them.

Adding fuel to the fire, Musk also attacked Gates’ personal credibility during the Qatar Economic Forum by referencing Gates’ controversial meetings with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Musk asked, “Who does Bill Gates think he is to make comments about the welfare of children, given that he frequented Jeffrey Epstein?”

This pointed reference drew scattered applause from the audience, further intensifying the personal nature of their feud.

Notably, Musk himself has past connections to Epstein, having reportedly attended Epstein’s Manhattan residence and the same billionaire dinner as Epstein, a fact he did not mention during his criticism of Gates.

From a financial reporter’s perspective, this public spat highlights broader concerns about accountability and efficiency in global aid—a sector worth billions but vulnerable to mismanagement and political maneuvering. Musk’s aggressive restructuring under DOGE reflects a growing frustration with bureaucratic inertia but also raises questions about the humanitarian cost of radical reforms.

The suspension and cuts to USAID’s programs have created a volatile environment where essential services are disrupted, and the most vulnerable populations are at risk. While Musk’s demand for transparency—“show me the kids”—calls for scrutiny of aid effectiveness, it also risks undermining public trust in institutions critical for international development.

Conversely, Gates’ dramatic warnings underscore the stakes: millions of children’s lives depend on sustained, effective foreign aid. The question now is whether Musk’s promises to fix funding gaps are feasible or whether the damage caused by abrupt cuts will have lasting consequences.

Elon Musk’s bold accusations of USAID corruption and his refusal to accept Bill Gates’ “killing children” claim form the latest chapter in a high-profile confrontation between two of tech’s most influential figures. Their feud plays out publicly against the backdrop of real-world impacts on global health and humanitarian aid.

As Musk challenges aid institutions to prove their value and Gates warns of looming humanitarian disasters, the debate over how best to manage and reform international aid remains unresolved. What is clear is that millions of lives hinge on decisions being made at the highest levels of government and industry—and that the world watches anxiously as billionaires clash over the future of global welfare.