What is Asperger's? Bill Gates's daughter accidentally reveals diagnosis
Bill Gates' daughter Phoebe accidentally revealed that her father was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.
The Microsoft co-founder's daughter appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast, where she accidentally told host Alex Cooper that her father was socially awkward, and has the condition — which raised eyebrows as Bill himself has never disclosed having it.
In short, Asperger's Syndrome is a developmental disorder that's part of the wider Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Bill Gates' daughter Phoebe accidentally revealed that her father was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Pic: Taylor Hill/WireImage
A 'high functioning' form of ASD, those with Asperger's usually have a tough time relating to people socially, usually stick to a specific routine and have limited interests. They may also act in repetitive ways, known as 'stimming,' with examples of that including flapping hands.
There are no specific symptoms of Asperger's per se, but they usually relate to emotional, communication and behavioural skills. Diagnoses usually happen around the ages of 5-9, but some adults can also be diagnosed later in life. Phoebe (right) casually spoke about her father's diagnosis, something that her dad never disclosed publicly. Pic: Call Her Daddy/YouTube
Bill Gates' daughter Phoebe accidentally let her father's condition slip during an appearance on Call Her Daddy; something that her father never revealed, but said that he had traits similar to those on the autism spectrum.
'My dad is pretty socially awkward. He's said he, you know, has Asperger's,' Phoebe said on the podcast. 'Bringing a guy home is terrifying for the guy. It's also kind of hilarious for me,' she joked.
The philanthropist never acknowledged publicly that he was diagnosed with the condition, but in his memoir Source Code from 2023, he alluded to the fact that he may have been on the spectrum, including that he was 'hyper-focused' on things growing up. Bill Gates and his daughter Phoebe. Pic:for TIME
'I was a hyper-focused kid. I would get so lost in what I was doing, I'd forget to eat,' he wrote. 'I probably would've been diagnosed today, and that's not a bad thing — it's part of who I am.'
Mr Gates also spoke about his autistic traits in an interview earlier this year, telling Axios 'I always knew I was different in ways that confused people in terms of my energy level and intensity, and going off and just studying things.
'It's a little confusing when you're a kid, that you're different, or people react to you in some ways, or your social skills – you're miscuing on various things. I definitely think my parents, maybe somewhat unintentionally, because there was no diagnosis, but the way they would explain things to me or push me to socialize was very helpful.'
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