{"id":1448,"date":"2021-05-14T07:10:51","date_gmt":"2021-05-14T07:10:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/?p=1448"},"modified":"2022-02-21T09:54:47","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T09:54:47","slug":"a-false-message-claims-there-is-a-coronavirus-conspiracy-between-glaxosmithkline-and-wuhan-lab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/a-false-message-claims-there-is-a-coronavirus-conspiracy-between-glaxosmithkline-and-wuhan-lab\/","title":{"rendered":"Coronavirus Conspiracy: No Connection between GlaxoSmithKline and Wuhan Lab"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A viral message propagates a false conspiracy theory suggesting a nexus between Wuhan lab and major global pharmaceutical companies that caused in the Covid-19 pandemic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The message ultimately puts forward a convoluted claim that the coronavirus was created in China with the help of vaccine makers with the intension to make profits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact Crescendo received many fact-check requests about this message on our WhatsApp Factline<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHAT\u2019S THE CLAIM?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Twitter<\/a> | Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FACT CHECK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will fact-check all the claims made in this message one by one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claim 1 \u2013 Chinese biological laboratory in Wuhan is owned by GlaxoSmithKline<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The official name of this biological laboratory is the Wuhan Institute of Virology<\/a>. It was established in 1958. It is a largely state-funded lab, which is under the control of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), a part of the Government of China. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a letter published in Nature magazine<\/a> in 2019, it is mentioned that \u201cCAS has never sought or achieved financial autonomy. Over the past 40 years, half of its income has come directly from central-government investment. CAS could not develop without the funding and support of the central government.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This clarifies that a private foreign company like GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) does not own or control Wuhan Lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claim 2 \u2013 GlaxoSmithKline owns Pfizer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is a British pharmaceutical company. Pfizer is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pfizer is 69% owned by institutional shareholders. Among them, The Vanguard Group owns the highest shares (7.67%). CNN Money<\/a> has published the list of top 10 owners of Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline does not feature on the list of Pfizer shareholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 2018, Pfizer and GSK entered into a joint venture to create a premier global consumer healthcare company. However, that partnership ended in 2019. The statement of closure<\/a> of the partnership states, \u201cGSK intends to separate the joint venture as an independent company via a demerger of its equity interest to its shareholders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They don\u2019t own or control each other in any way or means. They are separate and independent companies. Hence, the claim of GlaxoSmithKline owning Pfizer is false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claim 3 \u2013 Coronavirus was started in the biological laboratory in Wuhan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, a group of 27 prominent public health scientists have released a statement denying the conspiracy theories about the origin of coronavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin,\u201d reads the statement published in the Lancet<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cConspiracy theories do nothing but create fear, rumours, and prejudice that jeopardise our global collaboration in the fight against this virus,\u201d it further adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even U.S. intelligence agencies and scientists have not found<\/a> any evidence to support these rumors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claim \u2013 4 The biological laboratory in Wuhan was funded by Dr. Fauci<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Anthony Fauci is the Director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). It is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the US health department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a report<\/a>, NIH had approved a grant of $3.4 million in 2014 to the US company EcoHealth Alliance to study the risk of the future emergence of coronaviruses from bats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wuhan Institute of Virology was a collaborator on this project. Because of this, EcoHealth distributed $600,000 of that grant to Wuhan lab. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, it is misleading to suggest Dr. Fauci funded Wuhan lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claim 5 \u2013 GlaxoSmithKline and Open Foundation Company (Soros Foundation) are managed by Black Rock finances<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BlackRock is an American multinational investment management corporation. It has investments and shares in various companies all over the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Reuters\u2019 data<\/a>, BlackRock owns 7.5% shares of GSK. Since GSK has 1553 institutional owners and shareholders, it is not accurate to claim GSK is managed by BlackRock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Billionaire George Soros and his Open Society Foundations<\/a> have been a target of conspiracy theorists since the emergence of coronavirus. Open Society Foundation is the world\u2019s largest private funder of charities and NGOs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no evidence available of any possible connection between BlackRock and Soros\u2019 Open Society Foundations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claim 6 \u2013 Soros Foundation serves the French AXA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AXA<\/a> is a French insurance company. It is the world’s largest<\/a> insurance company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reuters<\/a> says, there is no evidence of a connection between Open Society Foundations and AXA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although, Soros Fund Management owns around 450,000 shares of AXA Equitable Holdings. It is a US-based company partially owned by French AXA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claim 7 \u2013 Soros owns the German company Winterthur<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winterthur is a Swiss insurance company. It was not Soros but French AXA owns Winterthur group. AXA had acquired<\/a> Winterthur in 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, this claim is false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claim 8 \u2013 Winterthur built the Chinese laboratory in Wuhan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned above, Winterthur is a general insurance company. It is not in the construction business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, the Wuhan lab was started and operated by the Government of China. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, this is claim is false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claim 9 \u2013 Vanguard is a shareholder of Black Rock<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vanguard Group<\/a> is a US-based investment company. It really does own shares in BlackRock. It is, in fact, a top shareholder<\/a> of BlackRock with a 7.53% stake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 In addition to that, Vanguard is a major shareholder in Pfizer and Microsoft too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claim 10 \u2013 Black Rock is a major shareholder of Microsoft, <\/strong> <\/strong>the property of Bill Gates<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to CNN Money<\/a> data, BlackRock owns a 4.56% stake in Microsoft, making it the second largest shareholder behind the Vanguard group (7.71%). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is not accurate to claim Microsoft as Bill Gates\u2019 property. He had stepped down from the board of the company in 2020. Though Gates had co-founded the company, he only owns 1.36% of shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Investopedia<\/a>, the top three individual insider shareholders of Microsoft are CEO Satya Nadella, Bradford L. Smith and Jean-Philippe Courtois.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claim 11 \u2013 Bill Gates is a shareholder of Pfizer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill Gates and his philanthropic venture Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation do not have any share in Pfizer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although, the foundation has granted funds<\/a> to Pfizer to support the development of a Group B streptococcus (GBS) vaccine for developing country access in 2016. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claim 12 \u2013 Bill Gates is currently the first sponsor of WHO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the second-largest<\/a> funder of the World Health Organization. The foundation provided 10.8 % of the WHO’s funds in 2018-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The United States is the biggest donor to WHO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CONCLUSION<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, it can be concluded that the message is loaded with unverified and baseless claims and false links. We urge our readers not to fall for such rumors and conspiracy theories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t