Breakthrough Energy, a Bill Gates-funded umbrella organization that tackles a vast range of climate issues, drastically cut operations on Tuesday in an internal memo.
Dozens of staff have been cut down on the European Breakthrough Energy Unit, the US teams working on public policy issues, and most of the employees working on partnerships with other climate organizations.
This change shows that Gates is going back in his empire for the Trump era. With Republicans controlling both Congressional homes and the White House, Gates calculated that the US groundbreaking policy team is unlikely to have a major impact in Washington, according to people familiar with his ideas. The US policy team was also one of the largest and most expensive parts of the organization.
“Bill Gates is just as committed as ever to advance the clean energy innovations needed to deal with climate change,” a spokesperson for Gates said in a statement when asked about the cuts. “His work in this area continues and focuses on helping promote reliable and affordable clean energy solutions.
Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft and one of the world's wealthiest men, has put billions of dollars from his own fortune into efforts to combat climate change. Over the past decade, books, publications and well-known campaigns to support clean energy entrepreneurs have established him as one of the leading voices pushing businesses and governments to deal with the rapidly warming threats of the world.
Defeating much of the work of the breakthrough energy team is a sharp reversal for Gates, reflecting the rapidly changing landscape of politics, charity, climate change and global development.
President Trump is dismantling the federal government's ability to deal with climate change, dramatically reducing support for clean energy while promoting gas, oil and coal consumption.
Instead of trying to influence policy, Gates is now focusing on building clean energy companies through groundbreaking energy catalyst programs, groundbreaking energy ventures and groundbreaking energy fellows, according to those familiar with the issue. These efforts to fund startups and entrepreneurs working on a variety of renewable technologies were not affected by the reductions.
The emphasis on producing clean energy may be in line with Trump's interest in “American energy control.” Trump declared a “national energy emergency” on his first day in office, saying his administration would like to expand America's energy production at a moment when demand for electricity is rising sharply.
Gates, who resisted partisan politics throughout his career, was deeply concerned about how the 2024 election and Trump's victory could set back climate and global health advances. Gates has donated roughly $50 million to a political nonprofit organization supporting Kamala Harris' presidential bid.
“I support candidates who demonstrate a clear commitment to improving healthcare, reducing poverty and fighting climate change across the United States and around the world,” Gates told The Times last year. “I have a long history of working with leaders on the political spectrum, but this election is different and has unprecedented importance to Americans and the most vulnerable people around the world.”
After Trump's victory, Gates attempted to fix it. Like other tech billionaires, he traveled to Mar Arago for a three-hour dinner during the transition period and said he was “impressed” by Trump's interest in global health priorities, but he didn't say whether he discussed climate change during the meeting.
But Gates was caught off guard by the complete dismantling of Trump, the US International Development Agency, which provided medical assistance to vulnerable people around the world, according to one person familiar with his ideas.
Gates' foundation shares many grants with USAID, predicting “millions of deaths” if the cuts do not recover. Gates has been appealed to try to use his foundation, which has a budget of around $9 billion. However, the foundation has warned grant recipients that it cannot make up for such a big gap.
But Gates wasn't that open about climate change. Like other billionaires and CEOs who once spoke out loud about climate change, Gates was silent in the face of Trump's early efforts to reduce federal support for clean energy, promote fossil fuels, and dismantle government programs aimed at dealing with climate change.
Philanthropists and donors are concerned that Trump may come after their foundations. Gates was attacked by Elon Musk, one of Trump's closest advisors.
The Gates Foundation has also reorganized its diversity, equity and inclusive team in recent weeks, according to two people familiar with the issue. Gates said last month that the DEI program “goes too far from time to time.”
Gates' personal life and charity have seen a dramatic change since her divorce from Melinda French Gates. Warren Buffett, the founder of Berkshire Hathaway's billionaire, resigned from the foundation in 2021, working closely with Gates on philanthropy.
There have been signs of recent disruption with groundbreaking energy. Last month, Heatmap News reported that the group was cutting grants. There has also been a small number of staff cuts in recent months, including those who ran the Breakthrough Energy Summit, a lavish event held in London last year. Breakthrough Energy is looking for a new source of funding for Cipher News, according to those familiar with situations that are not authorized to discuss it publicly.
In an essay explaining how he was interested in climate change and why he founded groundbreaking energy, Gates said he wanted to accelerate the deployment of solutions.
“Climate change already affects most people's lives, and when you think about its impact on families and future generations, it can be overwhelming,” he writes. “The scale and speed of transformations needed to build a clean energy future are unprecedented.”
