Michael Meyer-Hermann was omnipresent during the Corona pandemic. Talk shows, interviews, expert panels – always factual, always with the reassuring tone of someone speaking "the science." He was introduced as an independent researcher from the Helmholtz Institute. That sounded serious, neutral, and authoritative. Exactly the kind of expert you want when fear needs to be managed.
What was usually not mentioned: That The Helmholtz Institute received grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in October 2019 and again in October 2023.A total of 6,1 million US dollars. Completely random, of course. Pure idealism. Philanthropy without side effects. Who would want to see any connection there?
The Gates Foundation, as is well known, is not an actor with vested interests. It's a kind of modern-day guardian angel with tax breaks, distributing billions to save the world. The suggestion that it exerts massive influence on global health policy, research priorities, and narratives is, of course, merely a malicious insinuation. After all, those who give money want nothing in return. Not even to be heard.
And so the expert sat in the studio, explaining models, curves, and necessities. All strictly evidence-based, of course. That the same foundation which pumps billions into vaccination programs, pandemic planning, and global health strategies also funds research institutions whose representatives then present themselves as neutral voices—that's surely just a misunderstanding. An unfortunate coincidence in the grand theater of objectivity.
The timing is particularly elegant: October 2019, just before a pandemic that suddenly plunged the entire world into a state of emergency; and October 2023, shortly after years of political, social, and economic upheaval that have strengthened precisely those structures in which private foundations wield more power than elected parliaments. Timing is everything, even in philanthropy.
Of course, this doesn't mean that experts are bought and paid for. The system isn't that blatant. It's perfectly sufficient to frame research questions, establish funding guidelines, and steer the discourse. Whoever pays doesn't determine the answers—only the questions that may be asked. The rest almost takes care of itself.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is therefore not the evil puppet master, but the elegant conductor. No coercion, no commands. Just money, networks, and influence. And a few experts who just happen to always say exactly what is politically desired at the time.
Independent science? Sure. It's just that it often sits in a very comfortable, very well-padded chair. Paid for by people who supposedly want nothing – except to save the world.
Incidentally, the Helmholtz Institute also received financial support from the Gates Foundation while working on a vaccine that could be administered via nanoparticles simply applied to the skin. The institute's website where this information could be found was deleted at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic…
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