03-13-2026, 03:19 PM
Back to Tim Schwab's book "The Bill Gates Problem"
This book has a lot of dense details so I'm trying to parse through and select the most relevant, although all of it is important.
Chapter 14- India.
When Billy began to really focus in on health he looked first to Africa 'where large numbers of poor people were dying because they could not afford treatment."
"But he also directed his foundation to look at India "where there were growing worries about an approaching tsunami of infections- India."
Funding wasn't really going to India despite having a larger population than the African continent.
2002- Billy announced $100 million in funding "to intervene where the Indian government was failing."
At the same time he announced that Microsoft was making a $400 million investment in India.
"The Lancet published a more pointed editorial, asking whether Bill Gates was a philanthropist or commercial opportunist."
This was in the early days so people were asking questions.
At the time he was having problems with the India government so this philanthropy combined with Microsoft investment allowed him to enter the Indian market.
Since this is always about the $- "The company pays employees half of what the company pays employees in the United States."
"It does seem more than a coincidence that India later became a major focus of the Gates Foundation."
"India today is the largest recipient of Gates money outside the United States or Europe, of more than 600 charitable grants totaling close to $1.5 billion. The foundation's first foreign office was in India." The first disease that was targeted was HIV/AIDS and from there morphed into "vaccines, financial systems, maternal health and other topics."
This being very early in the Gates Foundation there was more transparency.
The name of the HIV/AIDS program was called Avahan. "Mahajan, an associate professor in international affairs, at the New School, went on to publish her findings about Avahan's questionable legacy in academic journals."
Lots of money circulating. Job interviews were held at some of the fanciest hotels. Employees were paid high salaries and the consulting company McKinsey appeared.
"The director of Avahan, Ashok Alexander, a former senior partner at McKinsey was the highest paid employee in 2017 raking in nearly $500,000 in total compensation."
"The foundation's rich spending also prompted a wide array of NGO's to line up behind the agenda."
One NGO changed their focus from adolescent health to follow Gates money and priorities.
This is weird. According to Schwab the India government already had a good HIV/AIDS program so why did he set up a similar parallel program
He maybe had a different strategy in mind.
"And Gates was eager to contrast its approach with the Indian government's, trumpeting how its hard nosed business-minded strategy would move the needle."
The staff were learning that what looked good on paper didn't translate to reality.
The whole effort was far bigger than they realized when dealing with a billion people. Gates wanted to simple solutions, give a condom or give a jab and presto- problem solved.
"They didn't want to take on the difficult, messy work of public health- building up the infrastructure and capacity of of the nation to deliver the full scope of interventions needed against the disease."
Gates had to figure out how to get out of this mess so he decided to realign the company to work with the Indian government.
"After the first 10 years, the government of India has decided to take it over, Gates said in 2012."
"Aid has become a smaller and smaller portion of the national economy."
"The reality was nothing like the success story Bill Gates described. The Indian government deemed Avahan tp be hugely expensive in terms of benefits it delivered- and steadily unsustainable."
"This is not a model that can be replicated or scaled up by the state."
Maybe that was the intent. $258 million into a program that Billy abandoned. That's not like him.
There is always something else connected.
'The foundation's proflifigate spending on Avahan had created a significant cottage industry of grantees who were left scrambling to rejigger their missions and priorities to find new funding."
Some uncomfortable questions were being raised. "In a country where a condom sells for just $.10, what did Avahan spend on?"
The Gates Foundation learned an important lesson- that it was neccessary for them to partner with governments.
"By bringing government partners and taxpayer dollars into public-private partnerships, the foundation gets political buy in, public facing legitimacy, and huge sums of money that it wouldn't otherwise have. And it allows the foundation to argue that it's not some puppet master pulling the strings but simply one of the many collaborative partners."
This book has a lot of dense details so I'm trying to parse through and select the most relevant, although all of it is important.
Chapter 14- India.
When Billy began to really focus in on health he looked first to Africa 'where large numbers of poor people were dying because they could not afford treatment."
"But he also directed his foundation to look at India "where there were growing worries about an approaching tsunami of infections- India."
Funding wasn't really going to India despite having a larger population than the African continent.
2002- Billy announced $100 million in funding "to intervene where the Indian government was failing."
At the same time he announced that Microsoft was making a $400 million investment in India.
"The Lancet published a more pointed editorial, asking whether Bill Gates was a philanthropist or commercial opportunist."
This was in the early days so people were asking questions.
At the time he was having problems with the India government so this philanthropy combined with Microsoft investment allowed him to enter the Indian market.
Since this is always about the $- "The company pays employees half of what the company pays employees in the United States."
"It does seem more than a coincidence that India later became a major focus of the Gates Foundation."
"India today is the largest recipient of Gates money outside the United States or Europe, of more than 600 charitable grants totaling close to $1.5 billion. The foundation's first foreign office was in India." The first disease that was targeted was HIV/AIDS and from there morphed into "vaccines, financial systems, maternal health and other topics."
This being very early in the Gates Foundation there was more transparency.
The name of the HIV/AIDS program was called Avahan. "Mahajan, an associate professor in international affairs, at the New School, went on to publish her findings about Avahan's questionable legacy in academic journals."
Lots of money circulating. Job interviews were held at some of the fanciest hotels. Employees were paid high salaries and the consulting company McKinsey appeared.
"The director of Avahan, Ashok Alexander, a former senior partner at McKinsey was the highest paid employee in 2017 raking in nearly $500,000 in total compensation."
"The foundation's rich spending also prompted a wide array of NGO's to line up behind the agenda."
One NGO changed their focus from adolescent health to follow Gates money and priorities.
This is weird. According to Schwab the India government already had a good HIV/AIDS program so why did he set up a similar parallel program
He maybe had a different strategy in mind.
"And Gates was eager to contrast its approach with the Indian government's, trumpeting how its hard nosed business-minded strategy would move the needle."
The staff were learning that what looked good on paper didn't translate to reality.
The whole effort was far bigger than they realized when dealing with a billion people. Gates wanted to simple solutions, give a condom or give a jab and presto- problem solved.
"They didn't want to take on the difficult, messy work of public health- building up the infrastructure and capacity of of the nation to deliver the full scope of interventions needed against the disease."
Gates had to figure out how to get out of this mess so he decided to realign the company to work with the Indian government.
"After the first 10 years, the government of India has decided to take it over, Gates said in 2012."
"Aid has become a smaller and smaller portion of the national economy."
"The reality was nothing like the success story Bill Gates described. The Indian government deemed Avahan tp be hugely expensive in terms of benefits it delivered- and steadily unsustainable."
"This is not a model that can be replicated or scaled up by the state."
Maybe that was the intent. $258 million into a program that Billy abandoned. That's not like him.
There is always something else connected.
'The foundation's proflifigate spending on Avahan had created a significant cottage industry of grantees who were left scrambling to rejigger their missions and priorities to find new funding."
Some uncomfortable questions were being raised. "In a country where a condom sells for just $.10, what did Avahan spend on?"
The Gates Foundation learned an important lesson- that it was neccessary for them to partner with governments.
"By bringing government partners and taxpayer dollars into public-private partnerships, the foundation gets political buy in, public facing legitimacy, and huge sums of money that it wouldn't otherwise have. And it allows the foundation to argue that it's not some puppet master pulling the strings but simply one of the many collaborative partners."
"Some pointed me to the fact that the foundation had chosen the University of Manitoba and the Atlanta -based CARE to lead projects in India." Pag 310
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