Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman is hitting back at critics who believe the foundation’s wealth gives it undue influence over global health and development priorities, along with multilateral institutions such as the World Health Organization.
Suzman took an unusually deep and reflective approach in his latest annual letter by focusing on the scale of the foundation — which has a record $8.3 billion budget this year — and the role of “unelected billionaires” and philanthropic capital in meeting global challenges.
“It’s true that between our dollars, voice, and convening power, we have access and influence that many others do not,” Suzman wrote in the letter published Tuesday. “It’s also true that we are able to act in ways that others cannot. Because of this, we can call attention to and help find solutions for problems that otherwise might be neglected.”
About the author
Stephanie Beasley@Steph_Beasley
Stephanie Beasley is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global philanthropy with a focus on regulations and policy. She is an alumna of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and Oberlin College and has a background in Latin American studies. She previously covered transportation security at POLITICO.
