Additional Coverage:
- Bill Gates hopes Elon Musk will talk about climate but says the Tesla CEO will ‘talk about whatever he feels like’ (newsbreak.com)
Elon Musk and Bill Gates, two prominent billionaires, often find themselves at odds over a variety of issues. In a recent conversation with Bloomberg’s John Fraher about his climate tech initiatives, Bill Gates commended the impact of Tesla on the climate crisis. He also expressed a desire for Musk to focus more on climate-related discussions.
During the interview, Fraher questioned Gates about his feelings toward Musk’s current lack of engagement with the climate topic, noting that Musk seemed more inclined to discuss cultural issues. Responding, Gates acknowledged Musk’s intellectual capacity and significant contributions to climate solutions, hoping however that Musk would vocalize more on the subject.
The relationship between Gates and Musk has been marked by public and occasionally pointed exchanges. Gates has criticized Musk’s endeavors, such as colonizing Mars, preferring instead to allocate resources to lifesaving measures like vaccine development. Moreover, Musk reacted strongly when he discovered Gates had bet against Tesla’s stock market success, though Gates mentioned that hostility from Musk was not uncommon and chose not to take it personally, later making an apology to Musk.
During the discussion, Gates also touched upon Musk’s view of his understanding of AI, described as “limited” by Musk, and confessed his personal areas where climate impact is significant, specifically his frequent flying.
Despite multiple attempts, there was no immediate feedback from Musk or Gates’ representatives regarding the interview.