No, Bill Gates Did Not Predict the Monkeypox Outbreak

Misbar has investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. Bill Gates’ statements about a potential smallpox terror attack have been taken out of context.

Bill Gates Warned of Smallpox Attacks

During a Policy Exchange Interview with the chair of the U.K’s Health Select Committee, Jeremy Hunt, in November 2021, Bill Gates has warned governments “to prepare for smallpox terror attacks and future pandemics by investing billions into research and development.”

Gates suggested that the ‘germ games’ could prepare nations for bio-terrorism such as smallpox attacks on airports. He also warned that bioterrorism caused epidemics could be worse than naturally occurring ones.

Bill Gates did not say that smallpox would happen. He only spoke about simulating the possibilities of smallpox terror attacks.

“The nice thing...we need to do to be ready for the next pandemic are things like making vaccines cheap, having big factories, eradicating the flu, getting rid of the common cold, making vaccines just a little patch you put on your arm, things that will be incredibly beneficial even in the years when we don't have pandemics,” Gates said.

The Microsoft founder made other statements related to smallpox attacks even before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Gates has noted during an interview earlier in 2017 that “advances in biology have made it far easier for a terrorist to recreate smallpox.” 

Bill Gates also said at the Munich security conference that “the next epidemic could originate on the computer screen of a terrorist intent on using genetic engineering to create a synthetic version of the smallpox virus ... or a super contagious and deadly strain of the flu.”

Several scientific studies and research papers also mentioned the possibility of a smallpox outbreak and bioterrorist attack even before the Microsoft founder made his statements.

Bill Gates and Conspiracy Theories

The Microsoft founder has been a frequent target for baseless conspiracy theorists, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, like the claim suggesting Gates was planning to use microchip implants to fight the coronavirus.

Many social media posts have described Gates as the architect of the pandemic. Meanwhile, in 2021, several accounts have circulated news that the U.S. military has arrested Microsoft founder Bill Gates for several crimes, including human trafficking.

Based on our investigation, Bill Gates has previously spoken about a potential threat of a smallpox terror attack but did not mention anything about a monkeypox outbreak. His statements about smallpox have been circulated out of context.