The last month Top United Nations Official It is suggested in a tweet that Elon Musk, He is a billionaire inventor, entrepreneur. could eliminate global hunger if he would just give the U.N. 2 percent of his wealth—or around $6 billion.
On October 19, tweet, Jeff Beasley, who leads the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP), congratulated Musk for passing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos for the title of world’s wealthiest person—Musk’s estimated to be worth around $300 billion—while also asking Musk to help the WFP “help us save 42M people from starvation for just $6.6B!!”
Musk’s response was: explaining in a series of tweets that he would be willing to sell $6 billion of stock in Tesla, the electric-car company he founded, if the WFP—which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year—would detail publicly how the body would use the money to end global hunger.
“Please publish your current & proposed spending in detail so people can see exactly where money goes,” Musk tweetedIn response. “Sunlight can be a beautiful thing.”
“But, it must be open source accounting to ensure that the public knows exactly what the money was spent on,” He was also tweeted
While no one could blame Beasley for shooting his shot—I could do a lot of good with 2 percent of Musk’s money, too—Beasley quickly dampened expectations for what results the WFP could achieve with $6 billion. A tweetMusk responded by Beasley. Beasley said headlines about Musk were misleading and that “$6B would not solve global hunger. But it WILL stop geopolitical instability, mass immigration, and save 42,000,000 people who are on the verge of starvation.”
Although $6 billion may seem large, it isn’t enough to end hunger. Take, for example, the I Submitted recently about SNAP—formerly known as food stamps—an $85-billion-per-year U.S. Department of Agriculture program that’s designed to provide adequate food to Americans who might otherwise be unable to purchase it. Total budget for 2021 by the USDA is $216 billion While $6 billion may seem like a lot, it is still incredibly small.
Beasley gave a more in-depth response to Musk’s request this week and provided an outline of how WFP would use a Musk gift. Beasley said, “This $6.6 billion will assist the most needy of the poor in the following way: One meal per day for 42 million people. This is for a year while COVID recedes.” This explainsIt was a promise. He also promised a “extensive detailed plan” would be followed in just a few days.
Various cMusk has been the target of a lot of vitriol from ritics. Some pointed out that the WFP’s budget last year was more than $8 billion—and that if the WFP couldn’t end hunger for $8 billion, then how exactly is a few extra billion going to do the trick?
Concerning Musk critics: While some reports are favorable, others have not. Please indicateMusk made it “unclear” if he was serious in his offer. Others believe Musk’s offer was not sincere.
For example, Hayes Brown of MSNBC found Musk’s request to have Beasley explain how WFP would eliminate global hunger too excessive. Brown said that Musk’s “half-assed” and inexcusable offer was a poor move. SubmittedIn an opinion article, entitled “Elon Musk’s Offer to Give Tesla Stock to World Hunger is Bogus”.
Although “Beasley leapt into the [Twitter]Thread hoping to engage substantively,” Brown Writes, Musk’s response—asking for details about how the WFP would spend his $6 billion donation—”all but accused the WFP of grift and opacity.” Brown does not explain his reasoning. Brown claims that Musk would have Googled exactly how WFP funds are spent if he were really serious.To learn that “the program already made it clear where the money is going.” Is Musk’s donation just going to the same places or people? Brown says that even though Musk is serious about his offer, it would be “simple compared to the things he could do with his money.” Brown does not explain Musk’s motivations. CouldBrown may not approve of what he is doing with his money.It is non-bogus and a serious affidavit.
Contrary to Brown’s, Musk may not be as skeptical about the U.N. spending of its funds, which I believe is a good thing. After all, even some CriticsWithin the U.N. accuseOrganization that is “sclerotic,” wasteful, adrift and paternalistic.
Elon Musk has been an inventor and innovator. It seems unlikely, from what little I know of him, that Musk would pay billions of dollars to top bureaucrats in huge public institutions such the WFP so they can do more of their previous work. Is that how Tesla, SpaceX, or Boring Company operate?
Beasley: “You can make cars, but we can feed people.” wroteMusk, in yet another tweet.
No. Edsel had a knack for making cars. Ford understands how to build cars. Musk knows how to change the car—and a lot of other facets of modern life—for the better.
Beasley said that the WFP might know how to feed people. However, it does not know how to end the hunger. Beasley shouldn’t ask Elon Musk to give money. Instead, he should get ideas.