Microsoft founder Bill Gates has stated that if he were a child today he would be diagnosed with autism. The tycoon said this in ua wide-ranging and surprisingly candid interview which reveals how the billionaire will adapt to the new Trump administration.
talking to The Wall Street Journal Ahead of the publication of his memoir, Gates, 69, made a surprising revelation about his own health and also revealed how he plans to work with Trump to achieve breakthroughs that change the world.
“This whole thing about Asperger’s syndrome or of the autism spectrum It’s something quite new. Before, autism was clearly identifiable. I have a behavior that annoys people when I swing, that’s common too. So there’s a little overlap there,” he says.
“Looking back, because I didn’t behave in a standard way, that deep concentration that was applied to mathematics and science became a strength,” says Gates.
Gates also revealed details of his December 26 dinner with Donald Trump and their respective chiefs of staff. Together, he said, they will work to accelerate vaccination just as Trump did during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The technology magnate and philanthropist also spoke about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.now in charge of the health of the United States, and gave his opinion on Elon Musk.
Gates said he and Trump, along with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and a close Gates confidant, spoke during a “Long dinner and really quite intriguing.”
“So the four of us sat there, and The debate was quite extensive.“Gates said, noting that much of the three-hour discussion focused on global health, a cornerstone of Gates’ philanthropic efforts.
“You already know, global health It is the area in which I work and incredible things have happened and can happen there,” the tycoon explained.
Gates spoke about his efforts to combat HIV and revealed that his foundation is working on a cure for the virus. “We’re at an early stage,” he admitted, but noted that Trump’s role during the Covid-19 pandemic in accelerating vaccine development had given him hope. “I asked if maybe something similar could be done here. And I think we both got very excited.“he added.
Another critical issue was the ongoing fight against polio, a disease that Bill Gates’ foundation has long sought to eradicate. “We talk about polio, which is very close to ending it,” Gates explained, underscoring the fragility of this progress. “If it stops, it will spread again,” Gates explained.
He recounted in detail the challenges faced in regions such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Gaza and parts of Africa.
Trump, Gates said, was “fascinated” by the complexities of achieving eradication and, he says, seemed eager to explore how his administration could support the effort.
Gates noted that achieving such a milestone during Trump’s presidency would be a historic achievement. Overall, Gates said he “felt like Trump was, you know, full of energy and… eager to help to drive innovation”.
Bill Gates also spoke about Elon Musk, to whom Trump has given the reins of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
He said he had not spoken directly to Elon Musk since his rise among Trump allies and that “I admired a lot of the work he had done.”
According to Gates, the idea of DOGE could be something “valuable”, and said, “I think the idea of looking at government spending from a sort of zero-based budgeting approach could be a valuable thing.”
“I am one of those who believe that the deficit must be reduced, because otherwise it will create a financial problem for us. That effort could yield positive results,” explained the founder of Microsoft.
Gates added that he had some concerns about cuts to certain government departments, including HIV drugs. “I believe in HIV medications, where the United States keeps tens of millions of people alive,” he added.
“If we cut them off, not only would they die when we are looking for a cure, but the negative feelings we would have, say, in Africa They would be worse than never having tried that thing.“Gates said.
The magnate also spoke about the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his Secretary of Health and Human Services, despite concerns from some about his anti-vaccine activism.
“He wrote a book saying that Tony Fauci and I had killed millions of children and made billions of dollars on vaccines. People can judge for themselves whether that is correct or not.“Gates said.
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