On the opening night of his new book tour, billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates spoke at the Emerson Colonial Theater about the first installment of his memoir, “Source Code,” and discussed the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices while referencing his possible political alignment with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
In conversation with Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. in front of a crowd of about 1,600 people, the billionaire said that he will try to “help the reinvention” of DEI as it changes in the upcoming years, but that this would have to include issues of poverty which he feels has been overlooked. The professor, in response, stood resolute that the rollbacks of DEI and similar initiatives would be detrimental to equal opportunity in the United States.
“I will say that some of these diversity things probably have gone too far, too far. This is a country that’s more equal opportunity than it is equal outcomes,” said Bill Gates.
Specifically, he said how not only was race a factor, but that poverty also plays a large part in what equal opportunity means in the United States.
“These [diversity] things [can] be reborn in a better way [with] low income as a key thing, not just race,” he said.
The Bill Gates Foundation, founded in 2000 by Bill and Melinda Gates, cites its commitment to DEI in its work in global health, poverty alleviation, and education. Further, Microsoft publishes a yearly diversity and inclusion report, maintaining that “a culture of inclusion invites people to contribute ideas, find innovative solutions to the most complex problems, and do their best work.”
Bill Gates still stood by these ideals as he discussed both in his book and at the event how he was fortunate to have been born a white man in America.
“I think, you know, we’re better off now than when I was young, but we’re not where we should be,” he said.
“We cannot allow retrograde evil forces, ladies and gentlemen, to set that back,” the moderator said in response.
Gates asked the Microsoft founder whether the same opportunities and success he had would be attainable for those in minority groups who may be vulnerable to the negative effects of DEI rollbacks. The latter said that he would “certainly hope so.”
The event, hosted by the Harvard Book Store, celebrated the release of “Source Code.” The book details the philanthropist’s life before Microsoft and includes chapters on his early childhood, parental relationship, and companionship with friend and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
The book itself does not discuss politically charged topics, however, Gates made references to his personal political affiliations when the conversation transitioned to DEI and artificial intelligence.
Gates avoided publicly supporting a political party in the past but has exhibited a shift throughout the 2024 elections, saying that “this election is different” in a New York Times article. The Times reported that Bill Gates donated $50 million to a nonprofit organization that supported Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. In the book talk, Gates hinted that he met with Harris during her campaign to discuss artificial intelligence.
Gates expressed excitement over AI’s potential but warned about the possible ramifications of such a powerful technology: “We should be excited about AI, but we should also be quite afraid that it’s such a change agent,” he said.
He referenced the book “Nexus” by Yuval Noah Harari, which states that humans are not ready for this technology until they solve other, more pressing, issues.
“We’re not getting along with each other. When you solve that, then take that magic genie out and [use it], but in the meantime, you are not ready,” he said.
Subtle digs were also made against Elon Musk, who has recently become the head of the Department of Government Efficiency—a new initiative by President Donald Trump’s administration set to reduce government spending—and is known to support AI.
“Now we’ve got Elon helping out in certain ways,” Gates said, which was met with laughter from the crowd.
Immediately following Trump’s win on Nov. 6, however, the billionaire was quick to congratulate the president on social media, writing that “America is at its strongest when we use ingenuity and innovation to improve lives here in the U.S.” Gates added that he hopes to work together with the president to “build a brighter future for everyone.”
Following this, three days before Trump’s inauguration, Gates also said that he was “impressed” by Trump, specifically in regard to discussions he has had with the president about innovations in global health.
