It all began with a CNN Business article. In an interview about world hunger, David Beasley said that ultra-wealthy people could solve the problem with a fraction of their net worth. Using the richest man on Earth as an example, the U.N. WFP (World Food Programme) director said 2% of Elon Musk’s fortune would be enough. The Tesla CEO said he would donate if WFP had a plan. Beasley presented it on November 15.
Musk tweeted about that after Dr. Eli David shared a screenshot of the CNN Business article asking why WFP did not solve world hunger in 2020 after raising $8.4 billion. Dr. David presented very shallow reasoning for the problem. It looked almost as if he ignored people have to eat three times a day to live healthy lives and that the food supply can suffer sudden interruptions in countries at war or facing natural disasters.
Although Beasley’s remarks would probably include anyone that was the wealthiest man on Earth at the moment, Musk took that personally and said he would provide the necessary money to deal with that under some conditions. His tweet also missed the fact that world hunger is not something you just fix for good. That would require “peace, love, and understanding” to rule the world, as Elvis Costello once wrote. That does not depend on money.
What it can relieve are urgent situations in which people may die if they don’t get what to eat. The WFP director tagged Musk and shared a link to what can be done to prevent 42 million people from dying of starvation in 2022. The page sums up the plan and leads to a more detailed website, where WFP also asks for donations.
Photo: Tesla
The organization said that it needs $3.5 billion for buying food and delivering it in places where the food supply has been completely disrupted. In areas where starving people can buy what to eat, WFP wants to offer $2 billion in vouchers. Apart from feeding the ones in need, this system helps support local economies.
Managing these efforts would require $700 million in each of the 43 countries with hunger emergencies and $400 million more for global and regional coordination. Summing all these expenses, you get the $6.6 billion WFP needs to tackle famine in 2022 if things remain as they currently are. A hurricane, a volcano, an earthquake, or a war can break out and increase these needs all of a sudden.
Beasley reinforced that “transparency and accountability are essential to us and our donors.” In that sense, the WFP director said that its “financial statements, operational plans, audits & annual reports, etc., are all public. We have open books.”Musk expressed that concern if he was really going to help.
Photo: SNL
Now that the plan is available, we wonder if the Tesla CEO will stick to what he said on Twitter. More than that, we wish that other billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Bernard Arnault, Larry Page, and Mark Zuckerberg also feel driven to help. Musk has already sold $8.8 billion in stocks just to pay taxes – or so he said.
When CNN Business originally published its interview with Beasley on October 26, 2021, Tesla’s market cap had just reached $1 trillion. If the stock price keeps rising – as Tesla bulls think that will be the case – Musk will have to sell even fewer shares to pay for solving world hunger in 2022 all by himself.
No solution for world famine will ever be permanent. Despite that, saving 42 million lives in danger right now sounds like the perfect way to spend $6.6 billion, regardless of where that money comes from.
Fact check:
???? 2% of @elonmusk's wealth is $6B
???? In 2020 the UN World Food Program (WFP) raised $8.4B. How come it didn't "solve world hunger"?
This hunger crisis is urgent, unprecedented, AND avoidable. @elonmusk, you asked for a clear plan & open books. Here it is! We're ready to talk with you - and anyone else - who is serious about saving lives. The ask is $6.6B to avert famine in 2022: https://t.co/eJLmfcMVqE
Transparency and accountability are essential to us and our donors. WFP's financial statements, operational plans, audits & annual reports, etc. are all public. We have open books. Here’s the link: https://t.co/ZuAIUvgy2c
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