logo
Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Did Bill Gates say he had a company trying to create a coronavirus outbreak and that they were successful?

By Sarah Thompson
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
NO

A video making the claim circulating on social media is an altered fabrication. While Gates did say each of the words and phrases separately in an interview, several short snippets were taken out of context and spliced together to produce a fake quote.

The original, full 12-minute interview from 2020 was altered by separating and joining several small segments to create the doctored 26-second clip.

The original interview, titled "Talking Tech and 2020 with Bill Gates!" was posted on the Marques Brownlee YouTube channel on Feb. 14, 2020. The interview covered several topics, but was mostly about electric cars. Near the end, Gates explains how important it is to him to answer his email in a timely manner. It is this segment of the original interview that captures Gates saying the words "coronavirus outbreak."

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Marques Brownlee Talking Tech and 2020 with Bill Gates!
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.