Top line
In his annual letter, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman pushed back against criticism of the organization’s power and influence over major global public health initiatives, saying it was not trying to make a difference in global health. setting the world’s agenda on issues of development and development, and only “responsive to it,” the foundation announced Tuesday its largest-ever annual budget.
Bill Gates speaks at the Goalkeepers Conference.
key facts
In the annual letter, Suzman outlined the Gates Foundation’s plan to spend $8.3 billion on various initiatives in 2023 — the highest annual amount ever — and then addressed multiple criticisms of the organization .
The letter, without naming anyone, pushed back on criticism that “unelected billionaires set the global health and development agenda,” saying they were simply responding to an agenda already set by global institutions, guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The letter states that the foundation makes all of its investments public and seeks to be “fully transparent about our priorities and strategy.”
However, Suzman said he agreed with the argument that “it is not right that private philanthropy is one of the largest funders of transnational global health efforts”, adding that countries should fully fund such initiatives.
The Gates Foundation is the second-largest donor to WHO programs, which Suzman believes is due to “countries reducing their contributions.”
Suzman added that he would like to see more governments place the Gates Foundation on the WHO’s list of top donors “because it means more lives can be saved.”
key quote
“We are looking for more effective ways to accelerate innovation and drive action towards global goals. This does not mean we will set the agenda of multilateral organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Global Fund. Nor will we decide which malaria drugs are approved by regulators , or research conducted by scientists. We don’t decide which seeds farmers plant in their fields, or which curriculum the school system adopts, or whether to hang mosquito nets in homes,” Suzman said.
large number
$9 billion. That’s the total the Gates Foundation has pledged to spend each year through 2026.
key background
Over the years, Bill and Melinda Gates’ philanthropy has been scrutinized by public health experts, activists and academics for the vast sums they donate and the impact it has on global health issues. This scrutiny has increased dramatically over the past few years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and foundation involvement in funding various treatments and vaccines to combat the coronavirus. In 2020, Kaiser Health News reported that the Gates Foundation urged Oxford University to change its plan to donate non-exclusive rights to a Covid-19 vaccine and instead sign an exclusive agreement with AstraZeneca giving it exclusive rights to manufacture and license the vaccine.during an interview New York Times Later that year, Melinda Gates said vaccine makers should be allowed to make small profits “because we want them to stay in business.” Aside from serious critics, the foundation and its founder Bill Gates has been the target of multiple debunked conspiracy theories about Covid-19 and vaccines. Some experts questioned the Gates Foundation’s priorities on global health issues, while others questioned the effectiveness of their work.
Forbes Valuation
According to our estimates, Bill Gates currently has a net worth of $103.8 billion. Melinda Gates, who is divorcing Bill in 2021, currently has a net worth of $6.8 billion.
further reading
EXCLUSIVE: Bill Gates reveals Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation aims to operate for another 25 years (Forbes)
Exclusive: Bill Gates reveals how he and ex-wife Melinda shared a blockbuster gift worth $20 billion, making them the world’s biggest donors (Forbes)
They pledge to donate their rights to COVID vaccines, then sell them to pharmaceutical companies (Kaiser Health News)
The world lost its way under Bill Gates’ vaccine colonialism (WIRED)
