Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has expressed admiration for Elon Musk’s work and contributions while also sharing his surprise at Musk’s recent political commentary on European affairs. Speaking in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Gates reflected on his longstanding acquaintance with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO and commended his achievements.
“I haven’t spoken directly to him for about 18 months. I’ve known Elon a long (time)… he’s a member of the Giving Pledge, and I admire a lot of the great work he’s done,” Gates said.
However, Gates admitted he was taken aback by Musk’s increasing involvement in European politics. Recently, Musk has used his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), to express support for far-right parties in the European Union, particularly in Germany and the UK.
“I am not trying to talk about European politics like he is, so it surprises me a bit,” Gates remarked, noting that Musk “finds the time to do a lot of things.”
During the interview, Gates also touched on issues related to government spending and efficiency. When asked what he would focus on if tasked with Musk’s self-styled “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), Gates suggested that areas like pensions, defence, and healthcare need optimisation.
“You could optimise in some places, parts of the budget I know well,” Gates said, adding, “Looking at government expenditure on a zero-based budgeting approach could be a valuable thing. I am amongst the people who think the deficit needs to be brought down, otherwise it will create a financial problem for us.”
The relationship between Gates and Musk has been marked by both respect and differences. While Gates has often praised Musk’s innovations in space exploration, renewable energy, and AI, the two have also clashed over topics like philanthropy and climate change strategies. Musk, in turn, has occasionally criticised Gates for his investments and comments on Tesla.