The Coronavirus Collection: The Gates Foundation

11 Articles

Bill and Melinda Gates and their namesake foundation have been at the center of a hurricane of conspiracy theories.

Snopes Staff

Published 10 June 2020

Image via Wikimedia Commons/Kjetil Ree CC BY-SA 3.0

As rumors spread about the COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic in early 2020, an unlikely scapegoat emerged. Bill and Melinda Gates, longtime foes of anti-vaccine activists because of the Gates Foundation’s work in public health, became the center of a storm of misinformation and rumors. Snopes dug into the conspiracy theories.

Check out the other categories to read the rest of our COVID-19 fact checks.

What questions do you have? Help Snopes investigate rumors around the novel coronavirus by sending us your tips.

Did Bill Gates Brief the CIA in 2005 About a Mind-Altering Vaccine? A years-old hoax recirculated in 2020 — this time with Gates' name attached to it.

Fact Check

False

Is Bill Gates Being Sued by India Over Vaccination Deaths? A fresh meme resurrected and combined some stale claims that we had already investigated at...

Fact Check

False

Does Microsoft Own Patent ‘666’ About Implanting Microchips in People? The Redmond, Wash.-based computer company published a patent for a "cryptocurrency system using body activity...

Fact Check

Mostly False

Are Bill Gates and the ID2020 Coalition Using COVID-19 To Build Global Surveillance State? Conspiracy theorists misrepresent Bill Gates’ funding of vaccination and digital-identity research as evidence of a...

Fact Check

False

Did Bill Gates Tell George Magazine That an ‘Over-Populated Planet’ Would Fall to a ‘Lung-Attacking Virus’? Bill Gates was featured in a 1997 issue of George magazine, but so were other...

Fact Check

Misattributed

Is ‘Center for Global Human Population Reduction’ Inscribed on a Gates Foundation Building? A doctored image was used to promulgate an old conspiracy theory about Bill Gates.

Fact Check

False

Is This Microsoft Logo/Coronavirus Crop Circle Real? You don't need a field to create a crop circle hoax.

Fact Check

False

Did Melinda Gates Wear an Upside-Down Cross? Critics claimed the billionaire philanthropist purposefully donned the symbol in video interviews about the COVID-19...