By most accounts, Bill Gates is a measured man. He literally relies on measurements, data, and reams of performance metrics to determine how to give away his billions. And despite the colorful conspiracy theories that often dog the billionaire philanthropist, he’s generally shied away from stepping into the political fray — until U.S. President Donald Trump.
In a way, Gates had no choice. The U.S. is the biggest bilateral donor in the world, and Trump is not exactly a fan of foreign aid. The Microsoft co-founder made headlines, as he often does, when he held a three-hour dinner with Trump at his Florida base in Mar-a-Lago before the president-elect moved into the White House.
“I was frankly impressed with how well he showed a lot of interest in the issues I brought up,” Gates told The Wall Street Journal.
About the author
Anna Gawel
Anna Gawel is the Managing Editor of Devex. She previously worked as the managing editor of The Washington Diplomat, the flagship publication of D.C.’s diplomatic community. She’s had hundreds of articles published on world affairs, U.S. foreign policy, politics, security, trade, travel and the arts on topics ranging from the impact of State Department budget cuts to Caribbean efforts to fight climate change. She was also a broadcast producer and digital editor at WTOP News and host of the Global 360 podcast. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Maryland in College Park.
