Nikhil Kamath asks Bill Gates to choose: Capitalism or Socialism? Gates reveals his preference

In a recent episode of the podcast series "People By WTF," Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath sat down with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to discuss various topics ranging from innovation to philanthropy. Gates highlighted the role of philanthropy in addressing issues that governments and markets sometimes fail to solve. 

“We are not trying to take over government functions and we cannot possibly do that,” Gates said. 

The discussion touched upon economic systems, with Kamath asking Gates whether he would choose capitalism over socialism. Gates responded, "Capitalism gives you the freedom to start a new business or try out a new product. That is an idea of freedom as it is not based on your background or class, and there is a discovery power."

Kamath also brought up "The Giving Pledge," an initiative founded by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, and inquired about Gates' relationship with India. Gates shared his long-standing connection with the country, stating, "I have had a fantastic relationship with India, starting with Microsoft where we hired very smart IT graduates and brought them to Seattle. Later, they went back and created a development centre for us in four locations."

The podcast also highlighted the philanthropic association between Kamath and Gates. Kamath has pledged to donate 50 percent of his wealth to 'The Giving Pledge.'

Gates praised Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, noting, "A lot of amazing people I work with are from India and part of that is Satya, who is doing an amazing job as the CEO."

He further mentioned India's importance in his philanthropic efforts, saying, "India is a country where we spend the most money, which is close to one billion a year."