>> James: HOW ARE YOU, SIR?
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW THRILLED I AM TO BE ABLETO TALK TO YOU.
THANK YOU FOR FINDING THE TIME TO TALK TO US.
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
HOW ARE YOU GETTING ON?
ARE YOU OKAY?
>> WELL, I THE WORK I DO IS MORE INTENSE THAN EVER, HELPING WITH
VACCINES, HELPING TO GET OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC.
I LOVE THAT I GET TO STAY HOME, NO TRAVEL, SO I'M DOING WELL, I
ALMOST FEEL GUILTY ABOUT THAT.
>> James: HAVE PEOPLE ASKING YOU ABOUT DOE VID-- COVID-19 AND
VACCINE REPLACED PEOPLE ASKING YOU FOR ADVICE ON HOW TO FIX
THEIR COMPUTERS?
HAS THAT CHANGED?
HAVE THEY REPLACED EACH OTHER?
>> WELL, YEAH, THE WORK I DO AT THE FOUNDATION, HAVE I BEEN FULL
TIME AT SINCE 2008 IS USUALLY PRETTY OBSCURE, MALL ARIA, TB,
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE DR. FAUCI AND I, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T
KNOW, IS THAT WE ARE NOW, INFECTIOUS DISEASE IS THE MAIN
THING PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
>> WE HAVE ALL HAD TO MAKE HUGE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE WAY THAT WE
WORK.
I MEAN MOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED FOR YOU.
I IMAGINE-- WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY IN BILL GATES' LIFE?
>> WELL, I GET UP.
I SEE WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE DISEASE, HOW MANY NEW CASES, HOW
MANY NEW DEATHS.
I AK AT THE REPORTS ON ALL THE RESEARCH WE ARE BACKING.
AND THEN I'M ON PHONE CALLS.
MOSTLY VIDEO CALLS WITH GOVERNMENT PEOPLE, WITH
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES.
WITH THE-- THE FOUNDATION SAYING HEY, EVERY MONTH WE GAIN, YOU
KNOW, GETTING THE VACCINE DONE, GETTING IT OUT TO THE ENTIRE
WORLD, WE SAVE TRILLIONS IN ALL OF THE MISERY.
SO WORKING VERY INTENSELY AND I'M PROUD RALLYING AROUND TRYING
TO END THE DISASTER.
>> TWO OF YOUR CHURN, I KNOW, ARE AWAY AT SCHOOL.
AND THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF REPORTS OF COVID-19 OUTBREAKS AT
COLLEGES.
AS A FATHER, WHAT ADVICE, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO YOUR KIDS
TO-- WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM IN ORDER TO BE SAFE WHILE THEY ARE
AWAY AT COLLEGE?
>> WELL, YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT AT GIGANTIC RISK.
THEY CERTAINLY HEAR ABOUT MASK WEARING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING A
LOT AND I THINK THEY ARE BEING VERY CAREFUL.
WE'RE LUCKY ENOUGH THAT FROM TIME TO TIME WE CAN MAKE SURE
IF, IF THERE IS ANY SYMPTOM THAT SOMEBODY IS FEELING.
YOU KNOW, THEY ARE OVER 18 NOW AND SO I HAVE GOT TO TRUST THEM
AND I THINK THEY'RE SHOWING GOOD JUDGMENT IT IS A BIT TRICKY WITH
THE ONE THAT IS STILL AT HOME.
WE SORT OF MADE HER PICK A FEW PLANS AND ONLY SEE THEM.
>> THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT IS HAPPENING NOW,
AND HAS BEEN HAPPENING THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND WILL CONTINUE TO
HAPPEN IS ESSENTIALLY IT BECOMES ABOUT TRUST, RIGHT.
MY WIFE AND I, WE HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN AND YOU START THINKING
WELL, DO WE TRUST THAT FAMILY.
THAT IS WHERE INSTAGRAM IS VERY USEFUL.
YOU CAN LOOK AT INSTAGRAM, PEOPLE TELL YOU THIS HE ARE
BEING SAFE, TWO DRINKS IN, THEY ARE POSTING VIDEOS FROM A-- YOU
ARE LUKE SORRY SON, THAT KID IS NOT YOUR FRIEND ANY MORE.
NOW ARE YOU GOING TO BE CELEBRATING YOUR 65th
BIRTHDAY NEXT WEEK.
WHEN YOU WERE IN YOUR 20S, WHAT DID YOU IMAGINE THAT YOU WOULD
BE DOING IN YOUR '60S?
>> I'M AFRAID I DIDN'T HAVE THAT MUCH RESPECT FOR THE DEEP
THINKING AND INNOVATION ABILITIES TO LEARN, EVEN OF
PEOPLE IN THEIR 50S.
MY WHOLE INDUSTRY WAS YOUNG PEOPLE AND WE WERE LIKE WHAT DO
OLD PEOPLE DO.
SO I HAVE HAD A COMPLETE COUNTERREVELATION THAT OLD
PEOPLE CAN BE VERY CREATIVE AND CAN DO GREAT WORK.
>> WHEN IT COMES COMES TO YOUR BIRTHDAY I DO HAVE GREAT
SYMPATHY FOR ME LUNDA YOUR WIFE, FRIENDS AND CHILDREN BECAUSE YOU
MUST BE IMPOSSIBLE TO SHOP FOR.
LUKE WHAT DOES A LOVED ONE GET BILL GATES?
>> YEAH, THEY USED TO BUY ME MOVIES OR MUSIC.
BECAUSE NOW YOU CAN'T, I JUST HAVE THE SUBSCRIPTION, THEY CAN
STILL BUY ME BOOKS.
I GET A LOT OF THE CLOTHES, I PLAY TENNIS.
>> A LOT OF V NECKS.
>> I DO HAVE A CLOSET FULL.
SO I AM NOT A MAN WHO NEEDS MUCH.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT I AM GOING TO SEND YOU ON YOUR BIRTHDAY, $5 IN
A CARD.
>> THANK YOU.
>> AND I WILL DO THAT, I WILL MAKE A POINT TO DO THAT EVERY
YEAR.
I WILL SEND YOU $5 IN A CARD, THAT IS WHAT I AM GOING TO DO.
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR FOUNDATION.
WHICH IS DOING THE MOST AND HAS BEEN DOING, BUT FOR THE PAST 20
YEAR, THE MOST INCREDIBLE WORK.
YOUR CURRENT FOUNDATION SON THE DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF
A COVID VACCINE.
I FEEL LIKE THERE IS SO MUCH DS INFORMATION, SO MANY THINGS
BEING WRITTEN ON TIME LINESES AND SO MUCH THINGS.
I FEEL LUKE YOU KNOW BETTER THAN ANYBODY ON PLAN ELEVATOR EARTH.
HOW CLOSE ARE WE RIGHT NOW TO A VIABLE VACCINE?
>> WELL, THE KEY IS TO HAVE A STRONG REGULATOR, THE U.S. FDA
IS CONSIDERED THE BEST, REALLY EXAMINE THE DATA AND SAY IS THIS
ACTUALLY SAFE?
DOES IT STOP YOU FROM TRANSMITTING.
DOES IT AVOID YOU GETTING SICK.
SO THAT PROCESS IS UNDER WAY BEFORE THE ENT THE YEAR, IF
POSSIBLE, ONE OF THE VACCINES COULD GET THROUGH BUT THE GOOD
NEWS IS THAT BY NEXT YEAR WE'RE LIKELY TO HAVE TWO TO FOUR OF
THESE THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE CLOUD, HAVE THEM APPROVED AND
THEN STARTING TO GET THOSE OUT TO THE HIGHEST PRIORITY
PATIENTS.
AND EVENTUALLY TO EVERYONE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD WITH.
>> James: NOW WHEN YOU SEE WITHOUT NAMING ANY NAMES, WHEN
YOU SEE CERTAIN POLITICAL LEADERS TALKING ABOUT OH, THERE
IS A VACCINE COMING, IT WILL BE HERE IN NO TIME AND ALL THOSE
SORTS OF THINGS.
HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU ■WATCH THOSE SORTS OF NEWS STORIES AND
YOU THINK WELL DON'T TELL PEOPLE THAT.
THE MESSAGE SHOULD BE TO STAY SAFE, WEAR A MASK, KEEP YOUR
DISTANCE.
HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU SEE THOSE SORT OF CLIPS.
>> WELL, IT IS REALLY UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE IT MAKES
PEOPLE THINK THAT THE VACCINE MAY GET APPROVED BECAUSE OF
POLITICAL PRESSURE AND THAT WE ARE NOT APPLYING THE VERY HIGH
SAFETY BAR.
FORTUNATELY THE FDA, THE COMPANIES ARE NOT GOING TO LET
THAT HAPPEN.
WE'LL HAVE A STRONG SAFETY DATABASE HERE BUT IT SHOULDN'T
BE SUBJECT TO POLL TUCKS.
POLITICS CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR IT OR ANYTHING OF THAT KIND.
AND IN PARTICULAR, THEY OUGHT TO LET THE SCIENTISTS, DR. FAUCI
AND THE CDC'S PEOPLE GET OUT THERE AND REMIND UG TO LISTENING
TO THEM INSTEAD OF DENIGRATING THEM WHENEVER THEY SAY A LITTLE
BIT OF BAD NEWS ABOUT HOW THE EPIDEMIC IS CONTINUING.
>> BUT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT A VACCINE AND WHEN
I SEE PEOPLE SPEAK SPAING ABOUT A VACCINE, LIKE YOU SAY FINDING
A VACCINE THAT IS SAFE IS ONE THING MANUFACTURING AND
DISTRIBUTING THIS TO AN ENTIRE PLANET IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
THING.
HOW DO WE GET ENOUGH DOSES OF THE VACCINE AND MAKE SURE IT IS
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ABSOLUTELY NEED IT THE MOST ACROSS THE
PLANET.
HOW DO WE DO THAT, WHEN I SAY WE, I'M NOT SAYING I WILL COME
IN THE LAB WITH YOU.
I UNDERSTAND THAT I AM SUDDENLY TAKING ANY SORT OF CREDIT.
I JUST SAY HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
>> WELL, THE WORLD HAS TO COME TOGETHER ON THIS.
THE THING THAT WE ARE DOING THAT IS COMPLETELY NOVEL IS THESE
COMPANIES THAT ARE MOSTLY IN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES,
THEY HAVE TO ACTUALLY-- TO COVER THE REST OF THE WORLD WHERE MOST
PEOPLE LIVE, THEY ARE DOING AGREEMENTS THAT WE'RE
FACILITATING WITH COMPANIES IN INDIA AND OTHER PLACES BECAUSE
THAT IS WHERE THE HIGH VOLUME OF VACCINES ARE MADE.
AND THIS HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.
I'M ON THE PHONE YIET A A BIT ABOUT IS YOUR FACTORY
COMPATIBLE, HOW QUUKLY CAN IT GET UP, HOW MANY DOSES CAN YOU
MAKE.
BECAUSE IT IS LIKELY TO BE A TWO DOSE VACCINE AND WE WILL
PROBABLY WANT TO VACCINATE 70 OR 80% OF THE WORLD.
SO THAT IS ABOUT 10 BILLION DOSES THAT WE HAVE GOT TO
MANUFACTURES BEFORE WE CAN REALLY ELIMINATE THIS THING AND
TRULY GO BACK TO NORMAL.
>> WITHOUT, YOU REALLY LOVE THE OPTIMISM OF THIS, THAT WE ARE
LACKING FORWARD AND ALL THOSE AM BECAUSE IF WE CAN JUST LOOK BACK
FOR A SECOND BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS RIGHT, AROUND FIVE YEARS
AGO YOU GAVE A SPEECH WHERE YOU TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF
AN AIRBORNE VIRUS AND WHAT IT COULD DO TO THE WORLD AND HOW
MONUMENTAL ITS EFFECT COULD BE.
IF YOU CAST YOUR MEUND BACK TO, I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS DOSE OR
JANUARY OR FEBRUARY WHEN WE FIRST STARTED HEARING ABOUT
THIS.
WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS THEN WHEN YOU FIRST HEARD ABOUT THIS
VIRUS IN WUHAN AND IF YOU COULD HAVE-- WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE
DURCHLY IF YOU HAD THE ABILITY TO TALK TO EVERYBODY AND SAY
RIGHT GUYS, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
>> YEAH, IN DECEMBER THERE WAS SOME DOUBT IS OF IT TRANSMITTED
BETWEEN HUMANS BUT BY JANUARY IT WAS CLEAR YOU WOULD HAVE SOME
HUMAN TO HUMAN TRANSMISSION.
AND IN FEBRUARY, WE ARE GOT THE FOUNDATION EXPERTS TOGETHER AND
I SAID IS THIS GOING TO GO GOBBAL AND SADLY THEY SAID
ABSOLUTELY.
THIS WILL NOT BE CON TAWNED TO JUST CHINA.
IT WILL GET YOU OUT TO MANY OTHER COUNTRYING INCLUDING LOTS
THAT WILL FIND IT HARD TO PASS A QUARANTINE AM WE STILL ASSUMED
THAT THE U.S. WOULD NOT HAVE A BAD EP DEM YOU CAN BECAUSE WE
HAVE MORE TEST KAG PASSITY, THE SO CALLED PPR MACHINES THAN NEW
COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
AND SO WE ASSUMED TUCKLY WHEN WE HAD PEOPLE COMING BACK FROM
CHINA, THAT WE WOULD HAVE SOME QUARANTINES.
SO IT IS IN FEBRUARY THAT THE IDEA OF GETTING THAT COMMERCIAL
TESTING GOING THAT WE REALLY BLEW IT WHERE COUNTRIES LUKE
AUSTRALIA, SOUTH KOREA, HAVE HAD A VERY DIFFERENT EP DEM YOU CAN,
KEPT THAWR NUMBERS LOW SO THEY COULD DO CONTACT TRACING.
NOW WE CAN'T GO BACK AND WE HAVE THE BUG NUMBERS BUT WE STILL
NEED BETTER TESTING, BETTER CONTACT TRACING.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER COUNTRIES LIKE WAS THERE EVER A
MOMENT WHERE YOU WITH WERE THINKING TO WORLD LEADERSES
SAYING GUYS, YOU HAVE TO TRUST ME ON THIS, THIS IS WHAT YOU
HAVE GOT TO DO?
>> WELL, IN FEBRUARY W WE WERE WITH THE CDC SAYING BUILD THE
WEBSITE, PEOPLE THAT SHOULD GET ACCESS TO TESTING, WE COULD SEE
THAT MINORITIES WERE GETTING SUK MORE AND SO WE HAD TO MAWK SURE
THERE WAS EQUAL ACCESS.
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HESITATED TO DO THUNKINGS AT THE LEVEL.
THEY HESITATED TO LET THE CDC STEP FORWARD.
AND OTHER COUNTRIES HAD KIND OF PRACTICED AND WERE MUCH MORE ON
TOP OF IT.
SO IT ALL UNFOLDED IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH THAT MUCH TO OUR
SURPRISE THE U.S. BECAME A LAGGER EVEN THOUGH THE VIRUS
CAME HERE AFTER IT GOT TO EUROPE AND CHINA.
>> James: NOW LUKE I SAY, I DO ENJOY THAT YOU HAVE, WHENEVER, I
WILL SAY I THINK ANY VIDEO, I HAVE SEEB OVER THE PAST FEW
MONTHS GENUINELY I HAVE TAKEN GREAT COMFORT IN, BECAUSE I
DO-- IT IS WONDERFUL HEARING SOMEBODY TALK WITH A SENSE OF
OPTIMISM ABOUT THE FEATURE AND HOW DO YOU THINK THE WORLD IS
GOING TO CHANGE POST THIS PANDEMIC, POST THE VACCINE
SHOULD THAT COME ALONG AND WE REALLY HOPE IT DOES.
HOW WILL, WHAT DO YOU THILT THE IMPACT WILL BE ON THE WORLD AS
WE KNOW IT POST PANDEMIC.
>> WE REALLY ACCELERATED IN DOING THUNKINGS DUJ TALLY.
SO ALTHOUGH THE PANDEMIC IS-- THIS WILL ACCELERATE OUR
FUGGING OUT HOW TO DO ONLINE LEARNING, HOW TO DO
TELEMEDICINE, AND WE REALLY CHANGED THE RULES THAT YOU DON'T
NEED TO GO TO AS MANY BUSINESS TRIPS.
YOU DON'T NEED TO GO TO THE OFFICE AS MUCH, YOU KNOW, A
CUSTOMER DOESN'T NOW THINK OH IF THEY DON'T FLY HERE AND SIT IN
FRONTS OF ME THEY ARE NOT TALKING ME SERIOUSLY.
I DO MEETINGS WITH WORLD LEADERS NOW, AND I WAS TALKING TO PRIME
MINISTER MOTU THIS WEEK AND WE CAN DO 20 MONEYSES WHEN IT IS
NECESSARY.
NEITHER OF US ARE MAWKING BIG TRIPS.
SO I DO THINK WE'LL COME OUT OF IT, WITH OUR MEUNDS CHANGED
ABOUT A LOT OF ACTIVITIES, YOU KNOW, THE WORKPLACE WILL BE
DIFFERENT.
BUSINESS TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFERENT.
AND SO THAT IS THE UPSIDE OF HAVING BEEN FORCED TO
INNOVATION-- INNOVATE IN THE FAAS OF THIS AWFUL EPIDEMIC.
>> ames: BEFORE WE GO TO BREAK, THIS COULD BE RELATED TO
THE VY RUGS OR NOT RELATED TO THE VIRUS, I'M INTERESTED TO
KNOW, WHAT DO YOU FEEL OPTIMISM ABOUT RIGHT NOW IN THIS WORLD.
>> YOU'VE BEEN LUCKY TO BE PART OF UNOVATION MY WHOLE LIFE,
WHETHER IT WAS WITH MICROSOFT, WORKS, THE IMAGINE SOFT QUARTER
OR NOW WHERE MEDICINE IS ADVANCING.
WE ARE SAVING MORE CHURN'S LUVS THAN EVEN WITH THIS EPIDEMIC, WE
KNOW IT WILL END BECAUSE WE WILL GET A VACCINE.
IF IT HAD COME TEN OR 20 YEARS AGO I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SAY
THAT.
SO WE WILL GO BACK, WE WILL GET BACK TO NORMAL AND THEN BEGIN
THAT PROCESS WHERE INCOME IS GOING UP, LESS CHILDREN DIE, SO
THE WORLD WILL BE ON A POSITIVE TRACK AND I LOVE BEING INVOLVED
IN THE INNOVATION THAT IS GOING TO HELP PUT US THERE, EVEN
DEALING WITH OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE CLIMBATE-- CLIMATE CHANGE.
>> James: STUCK AROUND, MORE WITH BILL GATES WHEN WE COME
BACK.