Programming master Bill Gates invests in vaccines and thus earns a lot of money. Now the corona virus is coming. What is it about all the conspiracy theories?
- In the wake of the corona pandemic , prominent conspiracy theories are circulating on the Internet.
- Many of them target Microsoft founder and vaccine developer Bill Gates .
- How much truth is there behind the claims? We start looking for answers .
According to current developments, the global spread of the corona virus appears to have been stopped for the time being with regard to the loosening measures taken. To date, when searching for an effective vaccine against Sars-CoV-2 , no means has been able to give definitive certainty that the virus can be switched off 100 percent. On the contrary, the WHO recently announced that humanity may need to get used to living with corona.
In times of the Internet, people are no longer just dependent on TV, radio or newspapers when it comes to information. Rather, the Internet reaches the population in a matter of seconds and so every crude world view finds its way into the public unfiltered.
In the coronavirus pandemic , claims are also about the intentions of the legendary Microsoft genius Bill Gates that are causing concerns and fears * in many people. These also play a role in demonstrations against the curtailment of freedoms.
Bill Gates: What is it about the conspiracy theories about Corona?
However, conspiracy theories related to Bill Gates do not target the development skills of the former computer genius. Rather, they are based on the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation , which annually spends a lot of money on the development and patenting of vaccines . Not surprisingly, since the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, people have sensed a connection and sinister intentions by the American.
Are these to be dismissed by hand or is there truth in them? We check assertions that are put into circulation by conspiracy theorists such as Ken Jebsen (KenFM) - and achieve a high reach:
Bill Gates created the Corona Virus?
There is indeed a patent by the Foundation for a virus belonging to the Corona virus group. According to AFP , this is an animal pathogen within the common, wide-ranging virus family, which has nothing to do with the current coronavirus Sars-CoV-2.
The Gates family foundation bought the WHO?
The Gates Foundation is accused of controlling the World Health Organization (WHO) in the face of enormous financial contributions .
In fact, the foundation was recently the largest private contributor and the second largest contributor to the WHO after the United States , with donations of around 340 million euros in 2018 and 2019. For comparison: This is more than the German contribution ($ 214 million). Critics do complain that the earmarked donations could certainly give the WHO a certain direction, as Chip.de explains.
But is Bill Gates about having a big impact at WHO? The American criticizes countries like his own home that recently refused to pay under Donald Trump . The US president justified the step with "mismanagement" and one-sided organization in favor of China.
Corona: Is Bill Gates interested in forced vaccination for everyone?
There is no evidence for this “popular” or feared thesis. A few weeks ago, the world community called for funds to be developed for the development of a corona vaccine * for the global population. However, it is not expected until 2021 that the Gates Foundation will develop around $ 150 million of this kind.
There has been no decision on whether to have a corona vaccination in Germany or in other countries, and there are no signs from politicians to implement it. Health Minister Jens Spahn had recently spoken out against it. Since the corona measures undoubtedly led to a reduction in the infection rate, it is currently extremely difficult for all people to have a vaccination.
Bill-Gates-related poster during a demonstration in Frankfurt am Main.
© dpa / Arne Dedert
Germany is one of the countries that Corona hit less badly than many others. A researcher explains the successful lockdown measures and their percentage effects on containing the lung disease. But: If the pandemic or another pandemic were to take on a dramatic nature, a law from 2001 would support a possible vaccination requirement for selected groups of people .
Corona: Does Bill Gates team up with pharmaceutical lobby?
The foundation of triple parents Melinda and Bill Gates works with pharmaceutical companies all over the world - including Pfizer , Sanofi from France and the German Bayer group. The biotech company CureVac, which is researching a vaccine, is also one of the partners.
The pharmaceutical lobby allegation can therefore not be dismissed out of hand: As the globalization-critical network Attack at the Gates Foundation shows, companies in this industry earn a lot from the strategy for vaccination prevention . However, the charitable organization of the Gates family does not per se carry out criminal activity per se, rather it follows a wrong approach that can be criticized ", as Attack explains.
Let's take a look at the Gavi * Vaccination Alliance that Bill Gates and his wife Melinda created: The Foundation has spent several billion US dollars on vaccination programs for children * around the world. CEO Seth Berkley denied that the Corona initiative was about business when he said that a vaccine to fight Covid-19 * should initially be provided without any profit intention.
Overpopulation: Does Bill Gates want to reduce the number of people?
An image of the "Center for Global Human Population Reduction" appeared on the Internet, which is said to belong to the Bill Gates Foundation . However, according to AFP , the image from the company's headquarters in Seattle has been manipulated and the corresponding title has been digitally inserted on the existing masonry:
A doctored image is being shared online accusing #BillGates of running a "Center for Global Human Population Reduction." # FakeNews #FakeNewsAlerthttps: //t.co/pgrBjYqsOU
- BOOM Live (@boomlive_in) May 12, 2020The allegation that the world population is planned to be reduced is based on a quote from Bill Gates in 2010 - this shows that the global poverty problem can be tackled by, among other things, the following measures: By giving birth to fewer children during a longer life to make a living.
The plan is to reduce the number of births by "new vaccines and sensible family planning" by "ten to 15 percent". The foundation said that, like development aid organizations, it is fighting against overpopulation in poor countries. A problem that China recognized as early as the 1970s and initiated political measures *.
Because the development of vaccines is not the only concern of the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation : combating poverty and enabling access to education and information technology are also concerns of the largest private charity in the world.
PF with AFP material
* Merkur.de is an offer from the nationwide Ippen Digital editors network