Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman on Funding Urgent Needs
Suzman weighs in on the crisis in international development brought on by the dismantling of USAID.
September 4, 2025 | Read Time: 1 minute
The dismantling of USAID has created the most profound crisis in international development in decades, threatening to reverse years of progress in public health globally. In the season five premier of Giving Done Right, Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette talk with Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation, about what this means and how donors can respond.
Suzman also shares candid insights about the Gates Foundation’s work, including its evolving strategy and Bill Gates’ recent announcement committing to spending down $200+ billion in assets by 2045. He offers advice to donors on making a difference in large-scale, global efforts, shares why “one of the huge comparative advantages of philanthropy is being able to take a little bit of risk,” and speaks to the role of AI in programs from math education to innovative HIV prevention.
We appreciate the opportunity to share this podcast and want to note that the interview was conducted by Buchanan and Nicolette with no involvement from the Chronicle’s newsroom.
