Bill Gates is reported to be one of the richest individuals on Earth, with a current net worth of $87.4 billion. [1] The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), founded in 2000, is the largest private foundation in the world. [2] The foundation’s mission is to support and fund international development initiatives that improve social, economic and health conditions on a global level. [3] The BMFG has been praised for pumping massive amounts of money into public health policy initiatives and scientific research on issues that forward the personal vision and social reform goals of Bill Gates. [2]
A recent report released by a U.K. based organization Global Justice Now, closely examines the BMGF operations and reveals that the foundation’s influence on global health initiatives is greater than any other donor country including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland and Italy. [2] However, unlike democratic governments who are accountable to their electorates, the BMGF is a private foundation that essentially remains unaccountable to populations impacted by the foundation’s social reform and public health initiatives, with the exception of tax reporting requirements. [2]
More recently, the BMGF has come under scrutiny regarding the manner in which it operates and the impact of its programs and initiatives. Philanthropy, particularly on a large scale like this, is not as simple as it may appear to be. [4] Global Justice Now expresses its concern by stating: