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Cnn
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It is not a secret for anyone that since Decision of the Supreme Court in the Citizens United c. FecDonors and Super PACs have paid money and influence in politics.
Concerning the Uber-Riches people who participated in positions of power In the country in an interview with Abby Phillip from CNN broadcast on Tuesday evening, Melinda French Gates said: “I think we see some of their real personalities coming out in recent years. I think it has always been in the shade of many people. ”
Among the billionaires Acquire importance in politicsTechnological billionaires such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg were particularly notable, especially At the inauguration of Donald Trump. This, and moves with others ultra-rich such as Warren Buffett and Michael Bloomberg, aroused criticism that The country has become an oligarchy.
French Gates is one of the richest and most eminent philanthropists in the world. She resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation last year following her divorce from the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates. As part of her divorceShe received $ 12.5 billion from the Gates Foundation for her charity work on her resignation. Its net value is now $ 14.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg billionaires index.
The current list of eminent billionaires, she said without naming them, “have values that they marry (that) are just different from mine.”
“I know a lot of these people. I met a lot. ”
French doors started Donation commitment In 2010 with her husband of the time, Bill Gates and the billionaire Warren Buffett. The initiative aims to ensure that the richest in the world give at least half of their fortune to charity and philanthropic causes, either during their lives or in their will. Sam Altman And her husband recently signed the commitment, but notably Bezos – which is the richest second in the world – does not have.
“If you have a billion dollars, it is an absurd amount of wealth. You have a moral responsibility to give at least half,” said French Gates on CNN.
Last year, philanthrope engaged To donate $ 1 billion to 2026 to advance women’s rights through its organization, Pivotal Ventures. She said she wanted to support freedom of reproduction in the United States after Dobbs’ decision of the Supreme Court in 2022, which found that abortion is not a constitutional right.
The criticisms said that ultra-rich have a disproportionate role in the Trump administration. French Gates said she had voted republican and democratic in different elections. However, she said that the effects of Decision of the Supreme Court in Citizens United c. Fec I was not decisive during the elections.
“I see a lot to give both sides of the aisle, and I would not say that one or the other influenced the elections,” said French Gates.
When asked if America became an oligarchy, she said: “I hope so.”
Watch the interview with Gates tonight at 10 p.m. HE on CNN Newsnight.
The Jordan Valinsky of CNN contributed to this report.