Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • World
  • Mid-East
  • Europe
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Africa
  • Syrian Crisis
  • Islamophobia

Bill Gates stunned by 'crazy and evil' coronavirus conspiracies

by REUTERS

LONDON Jan 27, 2021 - 11:49 am GMT+3
Bill Gates, Co-Chair of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, gestures as he speaks during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 25, 2018. (Reuters Photo)
Bill Gates, Co-Chair of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, gestures as he speaks during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 25, 2018. (Reuters Photo)
by REUTERS Jan 27, 2021 11:49 am
RECOMMENDED
Protesters clash with the police during a demonstration against the government of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, Lima, Peru, Feb. 4, 2023. (AFP Photo)

New protests grip Lima as Catholic cardinal chides Peru Congress

PERU-PROTESTS

Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates said Wednesday that he was stunned by the sheer volume of "crazy" and "evil" conspiracy theories circulating on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, but said that he wanted to learn what is behind them.

In an interview with Reuters, Gates said the millions of online posts and "crazy conspiracy theories" about him and about top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci had likely taken hold in part because of the combination of a frightening viral pandemic and the rise of social media.

"Nobody would have predicted that I and Dr. Fauci would be so prominent in these really evil theories," Gates said. "I'm very surprised by that. I hope it goes away."

Gates, a billionaire who stepped down as chairman of Microsoft Corp in 2014, has through his philanthropic Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation committed at least $1.75 billion to the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That includes support for some makers of vaccines, diagnostics and potential treatments. Since the pandemic began a year ago, millions of conspiracies have spread over the Internet, fuelling misinformation about the coronavirus, its origins and the motives of those working to fight it.

They include claims that Fauci and Gates created the pandemic to try and control people, that they want to profit from the virus' spread, and that they want to use vaccines to insert trackable microchips into people. "But do people really believe that stuff?," Gates asked. "We're really going to have to get educated about this over the next year and understand.. how does it change peoples' behaviour and how should we have minimized this?"

Excited about Biden

Gates praised Fauci and Francis Collins, head of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, as "smart" and "wonderful people," and said he looked forward to seeing them able to work effectively and speak the truth under the new administration of President Joe Biden.

During former President Donald Trump's handling of the pandemic, Gates said, it had "sometimes felt like they were the only sane people in the U.S. government."

"I'm excited about the team that Biden has picked" to tackle the health crisis, Gates said. Gates said he was also pleased that under Biden, the United States has rejoined the World Health Organization (WHO), and "that he's appointed smart people, and the fact that Dr. Fauci won't be suppressed."

RECOMMENDED
Protesters clash with the police during a demonstration against the government of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, Lima, Peru, Feb. 4, 2023. (AFP Photo)

New protests grip Lima as Catholic cardinal chides Peru Congress

PERU-PROTESTS
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    covid-19 outbreak bill gates coronavirus coronavirus conspiracy
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Rescue teams gather in Istanbul Airport to head to zones hit by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in southeastern Türkiye. (DHA Photo)

    Condolences messages pour for victims of quake in SE Türkiye

    earthquake
    Dark smoke rises after a fire broke out among containers toppled at a major port in the Mediterranean coastal city of Iskenderun following an earthquake, southern Türkiye, Jan. 6, 2023. (AA Photo)

    Deadly quake damages Türkiye's energy infrastructure, major port

    earthquake

    Want to help earthquake victims in Türkiye? Here's how 

    earthquake-in-türkiye

    Earthquakes in Türkiye moved Anatolia up to 10 meters: Seismologist

    türkiye
    No Image
    World's biggest Motorcycle Trade Show EICMA 2021 opens doors
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021