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Vaccines versus Mars - 6th March 2023

What should billionaires do with their fortunes: go to space, fight climate change, fund medical research? Former richest man in the world Bill Gates expressed recently he would rather fund vaccines over colonising Mars.

As the mega-rich get richer, their ability to influence politics or solve worldwide problems increases yet many appear obsessed with the race to space. Former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Tesla founder Elon Musk, and British entrepreneur Richard Branson have all set up private space travel companies. SpaceX, co-founded in 2002 by Musk intends on colonising Mars.

Discussing SpaceX with the BBC, Gates pointed out that "It's actually quite expensive to go to Mars. You can buy measles vaccines and save lives for $1000 per life saved."

Gates has donated tens of billions of dollars to humanitarian causes, focusing on world health and climate change. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, started by Gates and his ex-wife, has fought economic and social inequality around the world for 20 years and has spent billions on combating Covid-19.

Despite his charitable work, Gates has faced a lot of criticism. During the pandemic, some conspiracy theories claimed Gates started or profited from the health crisis. Another false claim said the billionaire put microchips in vaccines to control the public.

Environmentalists argue Gates's use of a private jet is hypocritical for someone who says they're fighting against climate change. Commercial and private jets contribute 10 percent of the US's transportation greenhouse gas emissions. Defending himself to the BBC, Gates highlighted, "I spend billions of dollars on climate innovation" and pointed out that he travels a lot for charity.

On a more personal note, the BBC asked Gates about his divorce and whether or not he would fall in love again. "Sure," responded the tech entrepreneur, "I'm not a robot."