You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

Bill Gates Says There's a 'Strong Argument' We're About to See a Global Economic Slowdown He told CNN the Ukraine war would likely accelerate "inflationary problems" caused by the pandemic.

By Isobel Asher Hamilton

entrepreneur daily

This story originally appeared on Business Insider

Jeff J Mitchell/Pool/Getty Images via BI

When it comes to the fate of the global economy, Bill Gates is siding with the bears.

In an interview with CNN Sunday, Gates was asked how he sees the war in Ukraine affecting the global economy over the next few years.

He said: "It comes on top of the pandemic where government debt levels were already very, very high, and there were already supply chain problems. It's likely to accelerate the inflationary problems that rich world economies have and force an increase in interest rates that eventually will result in an economic slowdown."

Related: Bill Gates Gets Honest About Divorce One Year Later: 'I Wouldn't Choose to Marry Someone Else'

He added: "I'm afraid the bears on this one have a pretty strong argument that concerns me a lot."

Gates said the health needs of poor countries would take a hit if wealthy countries suffered economic problems.

The US Federal Reserve and other central banks in leading world economies have recently hiked interest rates to counter soaring inflation. This has led to concerns that rates will rise too quickly and trigger a downturn that could lead to recession.

However, Wall Street banks are divided on how seriously the economy may be impacted by inflation, and there are some indications that rising inflation may have peaked.

Related: Bill Gates Surprisingly Praises Elon Musk Following Leaked Altercation: 'You Wouldn't Want to Underestimate Elon'

Gates wrote in an April blog post that closing the wealth gap between rich and poor countries was essential to prevent another pandemic.

"If we're going to be serious about preventing the next pandemic, we need to not just go back to pre-Covid aid levels but increase investments in strengthening health systems (which will also help shrink the overall health gap between the rich and the poor)," he wrote.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

'Wildly Inappropriate': Woman Says She Was Denied a Job Because She Didn't Wear Makeup During the Interview

Melissa Weaver was applying for a VP of HR job at a tech company via video.

Business News

From Tom Brady to Kevin O'Leary – See Who Lost Big in the Wake of the FTX Crypto Collapse

The crash exposed an $8 billion hole in FTX's accounts, leaving investors and customers scrambling to recoup their funds.

Business News

This Highly-Debated Piece of Cinematic History Just Sold For Over $700,000 at Auction

The wood panel from "Titanic" is often mistaken as a door. Either way, he couldn't have fit. (Sorry.)

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.