“My first thought was Africa”: Gates as a floating signifier in global COVID-19 philanthropy discussions on X

Philanthropists play an important role in tackling global crises. As observed in scholarly studies and acknowledged by philanthropists themselves, they have also become a major target of online conspiracy theories. Drawing on a case study of X discussions of Gates's COVID-19 philanthropy on the African continent, we argue that figures of Bill and Melinda Gates became floating signifiers during the pandemic. We used an innovative mixed methods approach combining network analysis, topic modelling, and Laclauian discourse analysis. Gates' public statements reached diverse and wide audiences, who imbued them with divergent meanings. They ranged from conspiracy theories to instrumental calls for help to collective attempts to make sense of the pandemic. This property of online communication needs to be treated as a norm and not dismissed as an aberration. We demonstrate that there are possibilities to counteract instances of conspiratorial thinking online triggered by their statements and activities through changing communicative approaches. However, these are limited, showcasing the extent of the breakdown of trust towards these figures. •We contextualise online discourses about the COVID-19 philanthropy through computational methods. •In many analysed contexts, global philanthropy fails to establish a positive image. •Global publics imbue figures like Gates with meaning in line with their worldview. •Philanthropists must contextualise their communication to gain trust during a crisis.