Bill Gates backs Kamala Harris with $50 million donation

By Gargi Chaudhry | First Published Oct 23, 2024, 9:13 AM IST

Bill Gates discreetly donated $50 million to Future Forward, a group supporting Kamala Harris' presidential campaign. While expressing concerns about a second Trump term, Gates maintains he's open to working with either candidate and supports those committed to healthcare, poverty reduction, and climate action.

Billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has recently donated about $50 million to a nonprofit organization supporting Kamala Harris' US presidential run, the New York Times reported Tuesday. Since Gates has not publicly backed the Democrat, who is running against Republican Donald Trump in the US presidential election on November 5, the payment to Future Forward, the primary outside fundraising organization supporting Harris, was intended to remain confidential.

In private talks to friends and others this year, Gates has also voiced "concern" about what a second Donald Trump administration may entail, according to a NYT report. According to the source, if Trump is reelected, his charitable organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is extremely worried about possible cuts to family planning and international health initiatives.

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But Gates has made it clear that he is open to working with either applicant. Gates emphasized his bipartisanship in a statement in reaction to the NYT article, but he also stated that "this election is different."

"I support candidates who demonstrate a clear commitment to improving health care, reducing poverty and fighting climate change in the US and around the world," he told the newspaper.

"I have a long history of working with leaders across the political spectrum, but this election is different, with unprecedented significance for Americans and the most vulnerable people around the world," he stated.

Gates had embraced the idea of "somebody who's younger, who can think about things like AI" in an interview with FRANCE 24 in July, following the announcement of Kamala Harris as the new Democratic nominee following President Joe Biden's withdrawal of his reelection campaign.

Trump, her opponent and the oldest presidential contender in American history, is 78 years old, while Harris celebrated her 60th birthday last week. Melinda French Gates, the billionaire and ex-wife of Gates, has previously openly supported Harris, 60.

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