Topline
Elon Musk could make misinformation on Twitter worse, but he could also make the platform better, Bill Gates told the BBC on Thursday, responding to the Tesla CEO’s public criticism of him and outlining his own personal experience as the central subject of numerous conspiracy theories about vaccines that are fueled by misinformation on social media.
Bill Gates spoke about Elon Musk, Twitter and conspiracy theories.
Key Facts
Twitter under Musk could get better or worse, Gates told the BBC, after the social media company’s board accepted a $44 billion takeover bid from Musk last week.
Gates said he has a “wait and see attitude” on how the deal could turn out or how Musk’s stewardship might change the platform.
The Microsoft cofounder, who has spent billions trying to eradicate infectious diseases around the world, said he has become the subject of “crazy” conspiracy theories and misinformation online, something many fear will get worse with Musk, an advocate of unfettered free speech, at the helm.
Gates said he has been shouted at by people in the street who think he is “tracking them,” a baseless and thoroughly debunked conspiracy that gained traction and has persisted during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"In some ways, you almost have to laugh because it's so crazy," he said, adding that he spends billions on life saving vaccines rather than making money from them.
Gates said he tries to maintain a sense of humor about the “crazy theories”—he joked that he had no reasons to want to track those confronting him—but warned they were making the toll of the pandemic worse by encouraging people to not get vaccinated or wear masks.
Crucial Quote
In the interview, Gates also hit back at Musk’s recent public criticism about him, often via Twitter. "There's no need for him to be nice to me," he said.
Tangent
Gates also dismissed Musk’s claim he was not serious on addressing the climate crisis due to holding a large short position against Tesla, effectively betting against the company. Gates said the position “has nothing to do with climate change” and stressed there is a difference between betting against electric cars and betting against a single electric car manufacturer, in this case Tesla. “The popularity of electric cars will lead to more competition for selling those cars,” Gates said. “There's a difference between electric cars being adopted, and companies becoming infinitely valuable.”
Key Background
The feud between Musk and Gates pits two of the world’s most powerful and wealthy individuals against one another. Forbes ranks Musk as the world’s richest person today and Gates—who occupied the top slot between 1992 and 2017—fourth. Both have clear visions for the future, with Musk investing heavily in areas he views as essential for the future prospering of humanity like electric vehicles, neurotechnology and space, and Gates dedicated to donating his wealth towards causes like eliminating poverty and infectious disease. Gates’ rebuttal to Musk’s more informal criticism on Twitter came as part of a media blitz following the publication of his latest book, How to Prevent the Next Pandemic. On Wednesday, he told the Wall Street Journal he was unsure of Musk’s motivations for buying Twitter and said the company must do more to stop the spread of harmful misinformation on the platform. While warning Twitter could become worse under Musk’s guidance, Gates noted he has a track record of upending the fields he enters and showing up the dominant players. “We should have an open mind and never underestimate Elon,” he said.
Further Reading
Bill Gates on Elon Musk feud and Jeffrey Epstein meetings (BBC)
Twitter reassures advertisers Musk won’t make the platform more of a toxic hell-hole than it already is (The Verge)
Bill Gates Questions Elon Musk’s Goals for Twitter, Approach to Misinformation (WSJ)
