The Verge: Musk's actions in dismantling USAID may have caused hundreds of thousands of deaths
According to a report by The Verge, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) destroyed the US Agency for International Development (USAID), leading to projections of over 780,000 deaths, mostly children, from preventable diseases.
The Verge has published an article claiming that Elon Musk's actions while leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) resulted in the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), potentially causing hundreds of thousands of deaths. The article states that in early 2025, Musk called USAID a "criminal organization" and celebrated "feeding USAID into the wood chipper."
A model co-created by Boston University professor Brooke Nichols projected over 780,000 deaths—mostly children and infants—due to the cuts, from malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and other diseases. Research published in Nature estimated 163,500 child deaths per year, while The Lancet suggested millions more could follow.
The report notes Musk showed no concern. During a televised White House cabinet meeting in 2025, he laughed about "accidentally" canceling Ebola prevention, promising to fix it. However, USAID whistleblower Nicholas Enrich testified before Congress that the fix never came, and Africa now faces a potential major Ebola outbreak. Enrich also stated that HIV rates among newborns, which were near zero, had risen after Musk's intervention.
The Verge further reports that DOGE saved little money, with the libertarian Cato Institute noting only a 9% reduction in federal employment, not spending. The article criticizes Musk's conduct, calling it psychopathic, and highlights his continued control of X and an AI project associated with misinformation and child sexual abuse imagery.
