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BERLIN—Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke openly about the influence Bill Gates and his foundation wielded over governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly regarding the funding of vaccination programs.

In a conversation broadcast on September 9, 2016, on a special edition of the Handelsblatt podcast, Merkel explained that her reflection on the power of large private businesspeople began years before the current debate on artificial intelligence, stemming from her experience with Bill Gates and his foundation.

According to Merkel, the foundation's enormous financial resources meant that Gates received particularly favorable treatment from political leaders. The former chancellor stated that the businessman had the ability to exert "moral pressure through money" when he considered the contributions of certain governments insufficient.

Merkel cited her own experiences as examples. She explained that when Germany didn't contribute the amount Gates expected, the businessman could discuss it with other leaders. According to the former chancellor, Gates reportedly told African leaders that "Merkel was stingy that year," a situation that, according to her account, contributed to generating political pressure.

The former chancellor also referred to the priorities of the then Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She noted that the organization was heavily focused on certain areas, including vaccination, while she had suggested allocating more resources to areas such as education.

Merkel explained that Gates believed the results of investments in education were much more difficult to measure than those obtained in other fields.

These statements were picked up on September 16 by the Berliner Zeitung, which headlined its article: "Merkel on Bill Gates: 'He exerted moral pressure through money.'" The media outlet presented the statements as an account of the political influence Gates was able to exert through the resources of his foundation.