David Beasley

David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Programme. File/AP

Former S.C. governor and United Nations World Food Program Director David Beasley was caught up in a Twitter spat this weekend with Elon Musk, the world's richest man and the CEO of Tesla, after Beasley said just a fraction of the billionaire's wealth could help the global hunger crisis. 

Last week, Beasley said on CNN's "Connect The World" that billionaires should be willing to sacrifice a marginal amount of their net worth and "step up now, on a one-time basis" to help tackle the effects of world hunger. 

"Six billion dollars to help 42 million people that are literally going to die if we don't reach them. It's not complicated," Beasley told CNN. 

The $6 billion figure would equate to about 2 percent of Musk's wealth. The Tesla executive has a net worth of nearly $289 billion, according to Bloomberg.

It didn't take long for Musk, who often uses Twitter to respond to criticism, to call out Beasley and the World Food Program. 

“If WFP can describe on this Twitter thread exactly how $6B will solve world hunger, I will sell Tesla stock right now and do it,” Musk responded on Twitter Oct. 31.

“But it must be open-source accounting, so the public sees precisely how the money is spent,” the billionaire added. 

Beasley pointed out to Musk that CNN's headline for the article, "2% of Elon Musk's wealth could help solve world hunger," was "not accurate" and told the Tesla executive he would show receipts of the WFP's initiative. 

“$6B will not solve world hunger, but it WILL prevent geopolitical instability, mass migration and save 42 million people on the brink of starvation," Beasley tweeted. "An unprecedented crisis and a perfect storm due to Covid/conflict/climate crises.”

“I can assure you that we have the systems in place for transparency and open source accounting. Your team can review and work with us to be totally confident of such,” Beasley added.

The internet spat with Musk had been picked up by multiple national news outlets by Monday morning. 

This isn't the first time Beasley has taken to his keyboard to call out billionaires. In July, he called out Virgin Group founder Richard Branson over the wealthy British business magnate's investments in his initiative for private space travel. 

"While you, @elonmusk and @JeffBezos reach for the stars, help us also save the 41 million people here on Earth who are on the brink of #famine. There is #SpaceForBoth," Beasley tweeted. 

Beasley took over leadership of the World Food Program in 2017 on the recommendation of then-U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. He served as South Carolina’s Republican governor from 1995 to 1999.

Last year, Beasley accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the U.N. agency for the work it has done combating hunger on a global scale.

 

Reach Thomas Novelly at 843-937-5713. Follow him @TomNovelly on Twitter. 

Thomas Novelly is a political reporter based in Charleston. He also covers the military community and veterans throughout South Carolina. Previously, he wrote for the Courier Journal in Kentucky. He is a fan of Southern rock, bourbon and horse racing.

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