Bill Gates strolls through NYC with Bono ahead of appearance at global summit 

Longtime friends Bill Gates and Bono strolled the streets of New York City on Monday with a major security detail in tow ahead of their appearance at the Clinton Global Initiative Summit.

Photos obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com show the unlikely friends – who have teamed up for 20 years to tackle global health issues – catching up in a 30-minute gathering before they had to return to the philanthropy summit.

It’s unclear what the two men were talking about, but they could be seen laughing as they passed a New York Police Department vehicle.

Gates, 66, wore a gray striped suit with a blue button-down and a blue striped tie with loafers for the occasion, while the U2 frontman, 62, donned all black.

He wore a black suit, with a black shirt and even black leather shoes for the conference, as well as his signature silver earrings and pink sunglasses.

The Microsoft founder, 66, and the U2 frontman, 62, strolled the streets of New York City on Monday. Gates wore a gray striped suit with a blue button-down and a blue striped tie with loafers for the occasion, while Bono donned all black.

It’s unclear what the two were talking about during their 30-minute encounter, but they were pictured smiling as they passed a New York Police Department vehicle.

The billionaire Microsoft founder and rock singer were in town Monday for the Clinton Global Initiative 2022 meeting sponsored by the Clinton Foundation.

This is the first time the controversial foundation has held its annual summit since former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ran for president in 2016

It will include announcements of new pledges to action – specific, measurable programs philanthropists can begin to address global challenges.

More than 3,700 Commitments to Action have been launched at these summits since their inception in 2005, according to the Clinton Foundation‘Making a difference in the lives of more than 435 million people in more than 180 countries.’

“I am still inspired by the commitments of the entire CGI community to come together, forge unlikely partnerships and take action against the great global challenges of our time,” former President Bill Clinton said in a statement ahead of the conference. of this week.

“The sponsors and partners for our CGI 2022 Meeting make this possible: they help build a space where people don’t just talk, but devise and implement solutions.

“I’m incredibly grateful for their support as the CGI community reunites to take action.”

Bono and Gates have forged one of those unlikely partnerships, working for the past two decades to tackle global health issues and becoming close friends along the way. They are pictured here before addressing the World Economic Forum to push for more funding for health care in 2002

The two met at a Davos Meeting in New York City after the September 11 attacks and founded the (RED) organization to raise money not only to supply people with AIDS drugs, but also to “create heat and excitement around the issue of solving the problem’

The two are now so close that when the pandemic hit in 2020, Gates said he missed seeing Bono the most. Gates and Bono pictured at the 2018 World Economic Forum

Bono and Gates have forged one of those unlikely partnerships, working for the past two decades to tackle global health issues and becoming close friends along the way.

They first met through a mutual friend, Paul Allen, Gates said Forbes in 2013′ and Paul said to me several times, ‘You know, Bono is really serious about poverty and things you’re working on; you should talk to him.’

“And I have to admit, I didn’t make it a priority,” he said.

But when the two attended a Davos Forum meeting in the wake of September 11, ‘Bono, Bill Clinton and I met, and I was a little surprised that he really knew what he was talking about and was really committed to making things happen. to happen.

“It was phenomenal,” Gates said at the time. “We’ve been partners in crime ever since.”

In 2002, the two spoke at the World Economic Forum when they called on governments, industries and non-profit organizations to significantly increase and support development funding for global health.

“Health spending needs to be drastically increased because we know it works,” Gates said in a… pronunciation at the time. “Although the problems are complex, there are solutions. We can bridge the gap in global health equity – and thus promote social and economic stability – but what we need now is the commitment to action.”

Bono added: ‘The good news is that investing in health and education in well-run but poor countries is very effective.

That is why it is an international scandal and moral outrage that clear plans to send children to school, train nurses and provide essential medicines are not being funded.

Bill Gates’ contribution, both financially and personally, is extraordinary, but the government will take action before we can really tackle these problems.”

From there, the unlikely allies created the (RED) Foundation to, as Bono put it when he spoke to Forbes in 2013, “not just the… I think we’ve raised $207 million so far to fund AIDS drugs.” buy for those people who can’t afford them – but to create warmth and excitement around the issue of solving the problem.’

The two are now so close that when the pandemic hit in 2020, Gates said he missed seeing Bono the most.

“We do a lot of our foundation work with Bono, and he’s always so affectionate and energetic,” Gates told actress, comedian and writer Rashida Jones on the premiere episode of their podcast Bill Gates and Rashida Jones Ask Big Questions.

“And there are some people on video, the emotional connection isn’t that strong.”

Jones then joked that Gates would hug Bono the first opportunity he got, to which Gates replied, “Absolutely, absolutely.”

Billionaire Microsoft founder and rock singer were in town Monday for the Clinton Global Initiative 2022 meeting sponsored by the Clinton Foundation

Their meeting on Monday came as Gates’ ex-wife Melinda French-Gates (pictured) spoke at the summit

Their outing on Monday came when Gates’ ex, Melinda French Gates, spoke to the Clinton Global Initiative Crowd about what she was doing to make the world a better place.

In a video compiled by the Clinton Foundation of Melinda’s comments on Monday, she said, “We have to invest in the place, we have to invest in people where they are because they are going to invest in everyone around them.”

She also said: ‘We know that providing women with equal access to medical care throughout their careers is absolutely crucial if we are to make progress in global health.

“So that’s why I’m very excited to announce that our foundation is committing $50 million to the Paul E Farmer grant,” she said, referring to the memorial fund that provides needs-based financial aid to deserving students interested in global health. and social medicine at Harvard University.

Her efforts soon inspired another philanthropist to donate $10 million to the fund.

Bill and Melinda divorced privately in August 2021.

Its terms were never made public, but Bill was worth about $152 billion at the time, earning Melinda a 50 percent settlement of $76 billion. That excludes the couple’s huge real estate portfolio, which includes homes in New York, Washington and California.