'Crazy And Evil': Bill Gates Finally Addressed The COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories About Him
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates finally addressed the COVID-19 conspiracy theories about him that have been circulating since the onset of the virus in early 2020.
In an interview with Reuters, Gates shared that he was bewildered by the amount of "crazy" and "evil" conspiracy theories that spread on social media.
Editor's Choice: These People Made Enough Money In 2020 To Buy Everyone On Earth Both COVID Vaccine Doses
But do people really believe that stuff?
Bill Gates
"I’m very surprised by that. I hope it goes away," shared Gates.
According to Reuters, many of the theories claim that Gates purposely created the virus to control people and that he planned to use COVID-19 vaccines to insert microchips into people.
The conspiracies are likely a result of Gates' involvement in the global response to the pandemic.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated at least $1.75 billion to the cause, some of which went towards support for makers of vaccines and potential treatments.
Gates wasn't the only one targeted by these conspiracies — Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top U.S. infectious disease expert, was also a victim of the claims.
"Nobody would have predicted that I and Dr. Fauci would be so prominent in these really evil theories," said Gates.
He believes that the millions of online posts and memes can be attributed to fear of the pandemic and the rise of social media.
"The presence of social media plus a pandemic is a combination that's never been tried before," said Gates.
Gates also shared that he'd like to better understand how he could have minimized the conspiracy theories by working with social media companies and explaining his involvement in a better way to the public.