The two billionaires are two of the most prominent business figures to respond to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision.
Bill Gates and George Soros are both outraged and saddened.
The two billionaires have chosen to express their anger and sadness on the social network Twitter, where they are frequently the subject of numerous conspiracy theories.
Gates and Soros are especially enraged by the Supreme Court’s decision on Friday to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which established the right to abortion.
In a historic reversal, the United States Supreme Court confirmed on June 24 the long-awaited suspicion that they would weigh in and overturn Roe v Wade. Since its decision in 1973, Roe v. Wade has been regarded as a watershed moment in the history of abortion rights. The case was decided 7-2, stating that women have a constitutional right to abortion.
“This is a sad day,” Microsoft (MSFT) – Get Microsoft Corporation Report co-founder Paul Allen tweeted. “Reversing Roe v. Wade is a cruel and unjust setback. And it endangers the lives of women, particularly the most vulnerable.”
Through their foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates and his ex-wife Melinda French Gates have always been strong supporters of family planning and contraception.
This foundation has also pledged to donate $280 million to such causes each year until 2030.
“From 2021 to 2030, we’re committing US$280 million per year to develop new and improved contraceptive technologies, support family planning programs that reflect local community preferences, and enable women and girls to be in control of their own contraceptive care—where, when, and how they want it,” the foundation stated on its website.
“Contraception is one of the most effective tools we have. It gives young girls and women the ability to plan their families and, quite frankly, their futures “According to French Gates.
Microsoft is one of the companies that will pay for the abortions of its employees who are forced to have them in a state other than their own. Other companies that have committed to covering travel expenses related to abortions for their employees include Tesla (TSLA) – Get Tesla Inc. Report, Amazon (AMZN) – Get Amazon.com Inc. Report, and Apple (AAPL) – Get Apple Inc. Report.
“The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn #RoeVWade ends federal abortion protections, diminishes human rights, and severely jeopardizes reproductive care,” financier and philanthropist George Soros tweeted.
“We have invested in reproductive rights organizations that are currently fighting back.” Soros added, referring to his network of philanthropies, the Open Society Foundations.
Soros is a major Democratic Party donor.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Bill Gates is the fourth richest man in the world, with an estimated fortune of $116 billion as of June 26. Soros is estimated to have a net worth of $8.5 billion.
The two billionaires have not stated whether the Supreme Court’s historic decision will encourage them to contribute a little more money to organizations advocating for the right to abortion.
Since the Supreme Court’s decision, very few CEOs have spoken out on this divisive issue. Even Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has become increasingly politicized in recent months, has remained silent for the time being.
“I believe CEOs have a responsibility to take care of their employees—no matter what,” said Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com. “Salesforce moves employees when they feel threatened or experience discrimination. To our Ohana—we always make sure you have the best benefits & care, & we will always have your back. Always. ”
Even though he supports the employees who will be affected, Benioff did not criticize the decision.
Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, Alabama, Utah, Oklahoma, and South Dakota all had trigger or pre-Roe abortion bans that took effect after the decision on Friday. Other states, such as Montana, Tennessee, and Virginia, are expected to follow suit in the absence of a national law.
