UN food leader tells rich: ‘Time to step up’

DAVOS, Switzerland — The head of the U.N.’s World Food Program is telling billionaires it’s “time to step up” as the global threat of food insecurity rises with Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying he’s seen encouraging signs from some of the world’s richest people, like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

Agency Executive Director David Beasley built upon a social media back-and-forth he had with Musk last year, when the Tesla CEO challenged policy advocates to show how a $6 billion donation sought by the U.N. agency could solve world hunger.

Since then, “Musk put $6 billion into a foundation. But everybody thought it came to us, but we ain’t gotten any of it yet. So I’m hopeful,” Beasley said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where some of the world’s biggest elites and billionaires have gathered.

“I don’t know what it’s going to take,” he said of Musk. “We’re trying every angle, you know: Elon, we need your help, brother.”

Musk and Bezos didn’t immediately respond to emails or other messages seeking comment.

Musk donated about 5 million shares of company stock worth roughly $5.7 billion to an unidentified charity in November, according to a regulatory filing.

It came after Musk tweeted in late October that he would sell $6 billion in Tesla stock and give the money to the World Food Program if the organization would describe how the money would solve world hunger. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing did not name any recipients for Musk’s donation.

Beasley told AP on Monday that his message wasn’t just to those two high-profile tech mavens, but other billionaires too.