Bill Gates' 22-Year-Old Daughter Phoebe Recalled What It Was Like Growing Up With A 'Socially Awkward' Dad — And How It Impacted Her Dating Life
As most people will experience in life, meeting your partner's family for the first time can be pretty daunting. Now, imagine you're dating the child of Bill Gates.
As you may know, Bill, the former richest person in the world, and his billionaire ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, share three children — Jennifer, 29, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 22. The Gates children lead pretty low-key lives; however, the youngest of the bunch is starting to make a name for herself in the podcasting and business world.
Last month, Phoebe and her Stanford roommate-turned-business-partner, Sophia Kianni, launched their podcast The Burnouts. The two friends appeared on the latest episode of Call Her Daddy to promote their new venture, and towards the end of the chat, host Alex Cooper asked Phoebe to spill the tea on introducing romantic partners to her dad.
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'I think [it's] terrifying for the guy, but for me? It's hilarious,' she said, giving some insight into what the Microsoft co-founder is like as a parent. 'My dad's pretty socially awkward, like he's said he has Asperger's, but for guys, I think they get really wigged out.'
For context, Asperger's Syndrome is a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder. According to the National Autistic Society, Asperger's 'is no longer used as a diagnostic term for autism and is considered controversial due to the history of Hans Asperger,' which you can read more about here. Bill has not talked publicly about having Asperger's, although in his 2025 memoir, he said he 'probably would be diagnosed on the autism spectrum' if he were a child growing up today.
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Last year, Phoebe confirmed that she's dating Arthur Alistair Donald, the grandson of Paul McCartney. And while she's in a happy relationship today, Phoebe recalled a specific time she'll 'never forget' when Bill had to drive her and her high school beau to a dance. 'It was one of my dances, my sophomore or junior year,' she began. 'First off, my dad insisted on us listening to NPR the entire 30-minute drive. He stopped for fast food.'
If the car journey didn't sound awkward enough, Phoebe said her dad later called the boy to remind him to be 'responsible' — only to call him by the wrong name. 'Literally wanted to die,' she recalled, before highlighting an upside to the whole thing. 'But now, I think it's become easier for me because when you introduce a guy to your dad, depending on how he reacts, that's how you know if he's gonna be a good guy or not.'
Phoebe talked more about being an outspoken extrovert with an introverted father — and how she helped bring Bill out of his shell. 'I'm way more of a people person than he is… It used to be a joke [that] our family would be so boring if I wasn't born,' she said. 'At the dad-daughter dances my mom would have us go to, I forced my dad to go talk to all the other dads and daughters there. And he would get nervous and leave. I was like, 'No. If we're here, we're gonna socialize. We've gotta work this room, Bill.''
As the most extroverted person in my family, I totally get it, Phoebe. You can find her and Sophia's full appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast here.
More on this
Bill Gates Revealed The Exact Percentage Of His $108-Billion Fortune He Plans To Leave To His Kids, And His Explanation Is FascinatingEllen Durney · April 9, 2025
'Oh Boy': Bill Gates Revealed His Reaction To His Daughter Launching Her Online Business, And Why He Felt Relieved That He Wasn't InvolvedZiya Jaffrey · April 28, 2025
Bill Gates Conspiracy Theories Have Circulated For Years. It Took The Coronavirus Pandemic To Turn Him Into A Fake Villain.Ryan Broderick · May 22, 2020
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