Phoebe Gates is just like any other college grad – apart from the fact her dad is a tech billionaire, she founded an app with her best friend, and she regularly attends star-studded events wearing designer outfits.
The 22-year-old Stanford University grad has lived a seemingly charmed life – growing up with unimaginable wealth as the daughter of Microsoft founder Bill Gates and ex-wife Melinda.
The family grew up in a $131 million mansion in Medina, Washington, that came complete with seven bathrooms, 24 bathrooms, and six kitchens, as well as its own man-made beach, at-home movie theater, gym, and trampoline room.
The property, worth an estimated $131 million, is nicknamed ‘Xanadu 2.0,’ a reference to the fictional estate in the movie ‘Citizen Kane.’
Her parents’ wealth has provided a lavish lifestyle – complete with the finest education – and while older siblings Jennifer, 30, and Ryan, 25, have kept their lives more private, Phoebe hasn’t shied away from the spotlight.
Her Instagram regularly shows her attending glamorous events, including summits, talks and exclusive fashion events, often dressed by designer labels and dripping in expensive jewelry.
But despite her Instagram-influencer persona, Phoebe – who previously interned with British Vogue – has been determined to forge her own path.
‘Okay, I’m my parents’ daughter, that gives me immense privilege, but it’s not what I’m defined by,’ she previously told WWD.
Phoebe Gates is just like any other college grad – apart from the fact her dad is a tech billionaire, she founded an app with her best friend, and she regularly attends star-studded events
The budding entrepreneur – along with former Stanford roommate Sophia Kianni – launched her own e-commerce startup app called Phia earlier in the year.
The platform offers shoppers an easy way to compare the prices of new and used items across more than 40,000 selling sites.
Despite her father’s wealth, Phoebe raised the capital independently – first getting $100,000 from Soma Capital, then $250,000 from the Stanford social entrepreneurship grant, and finally $500,000 in angel investments, bringing the total to $850,000.
Phoebe is the third child of Bill and Melinda Gates, who divorced after 27 years of marriage in 2001.
Although her billionaire Microsoft co-founder-father provided her with a very comfortable childhood, she has admitted it has done more harm than good at times.
Last year, Phoebe appeared on Netflix’s new docuseries What’s Next? The Future With Bill Gates.
In the series, Bill asked his daughter if she had ever come across conspiracy theories about him – including that the COVID pandemic was a ploy to allow Bill Gates to put microchips in vaccines that would allow him to track people.
‘All the time,’ Phoebe responded. ‘I’ve even had friends cut me off because of these vaccine rumors,’ she said.
While Bill is one of the richest people on the planet, ranked seventh in the world by Forbes, Phoebe keeps a close relationship with him.
She often speaks about their bond and, despite her father’s impressive background, she recently teased him about his lack of tech awareness in an Instagram post.
Phoebe’s older siblings – Jennifer, 30, and Ryan, 25 – have kept their lives more private, Phoebe hasn’t shied away from the spotlight
The 22-year-old Stanford University grad has lived a seemingly charmed life – growing up with unimaginable wealth as the daughter of Microsoft founder Bill Gates and ex-wife Melinda
While Bill is one of the richest people on the planet, ranked seventh in the world by Forbes, Phoebe keeps a close relationship with him
Phoebe is the third child of Bill and Melinda Gates, who divorced after 27 years of marriage in 2001
‘Happy birthday, Dad! @thisisbillgates – my favorite person who now texts me to let me know he’s going to send me an email,’ she jokingly captioned a picture of herself with her dad.
Bill has spoken previously about what will happen to his billions when he dies.
In 2024, while speaking with fans on a Reddit Ask Me Anything, the Microsoft founder said that he thinks leaving his vast fortune to his three children would be a mistake.
Instead, he plans to leave the majority to charity, including his own, The Gates Foundation.
The tech mogul is shuttering the Gates Foundation by December 31, 2045, effectively ending a lifelong project to give away his multi-billion fortune.
He announced earlier in the year that he plans to distribute ‘virtually all’ of his wealth, approximately $200 billion, within the next 20 years.
The billionaire announced he will give away 99 percent of his immense fortune, leaving one percent for himself and his children.
The Gates Foundation, which Gates founded in 2000 along with his ex-wife who left the organization after their divorce, pours billions of dollars every year into health, foreign aid and other public assistance programs.
Gates will hold onto just one percent of his wealth – which still equals out to an estimated $1.62 billion.
As for her personal life, Phoebe is currently dating Arthur Donald, the grandson of Paul McCartney, as per Nylon.