Phoebe Gates , the youngest daughter of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and philanthropist Melinda French Gates , is stepping into the public eye with a new business venture — and she’s not shying away from talking about the pressure that comes with having one of the world’s most recognizable last names.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Phoebe, 22, admitted she’s always been aware that people would have opinions about her career path. “Growing up, I realized that people are always going to have thoughts about me,” she said. “If the business is successful, people will say, ‘It’s because of her family.’”
“And a huge portion of that is true,” she added. “I never would have been able to go to Stanford, or have such an amazing upbringing, or feel the drive to do something, if it wasn’t for my parents. But I also feel a huge amount of internalized pressure.”
Phoebe and her former Stanford roommate, Sophia Kianni, recently launched Phia, a shopping comparison app that helps users find cheaper alternatives for products like clothing and jewelry. The app notifies users if an item is overpriced and suggests better deals elsewhere online.
Despite the anticipated criticism, Phoebe emphasized that the idea stemmed from their shared experience as regular shoppers. “We’re roommates fighting about clothing. We are the girls who are scouring shopping sites for deals. And there are, frankly, thousands of other young women like us,” she told The New York Times.
Phia has already attracted high-profile support. The venture secured funding from a venture capital firm, and celebrity mentor Kris Jenner is among the names in their network. Phoebe and Sophia are also set to launch a podcast, The Burnouts with Phoebe and Sophia, under Alex Cooper’s podcast company. Cooper, host of Call Her Daddy, has signed them to the brand.
When Phoebe first told her father about her interest in e-commerce , he admitted he was concerned. “Wow, a lot of people have tried, and there’s some big guys in there,” Bill Gates recalled during the interview. “I thought, ‘Oh boy, she’s going to come and ask.’” He added that while he would have helped if needed, it would have come with strings attached. “And then I would have kept her on a short leash and be doing business reviews, which I would have found tricky, and I probably would have been overly nice but wondered if it was the right thing to do? Luckily, it never happened.”
Phoebe said her mother encouraged her to raise funding independently. “She saw it as a real opportunity for me to, like, learn and fail,” she said.
Phoebe is the youngest of three children. Her older siblings, Jennifer, 28, and Rory, 25, also maintain relatively low profiles. Since their 2021 divorce, both Bill and Melinda have continued their philanthropic efforts independently.
Bill Gates has publicly stated that his children will inherit only a small fraction of his fortune. In a recent appearance on the Figuring Out With Raj Shamani podcast, he said, “My kids got a great upbringing and education, but less than 1 percent of the total wealth because I decided it wouldn’t be a favor to them. It’s not a dynasty. I’m not asking them to run Microsoft. I want to give them a chance to have their own earnings and success. You know, be significant and not overshadowed by the incredible luck and good fortune I had.”
As of April 2025, Forbes ranks Bill Gates as the 13th richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $107.6 billion.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Phoebe, 22, admitted she’s always been aware that people would have opinions about her career path. “Growing up, I realized that people are always going to have thoughts about me,” she said. “If the business is successful, people will say, ‘It’s because of her family.’”
“And a huge portion of that is true,” she added. “I never would have been able to go to Stanford, or have such an amazing upbringing, or feel the drive to do something, if it wasn’t for my parents. But I also feel a huge amount of internalized pressure.”
Phoebe and her former Stanford roommate, Sophia Kianni, recently launched Phia, a shopping comparison app that helps users find cheaper alternatives for products like clothing and jewelry. The app notifies users if an item is overpriced and suggests better deals elsewhere online.
Despite the anticipated criticism, Phoebe emphasized that the idea stemmed from their shared experience as regular shoppers. “We’re roommates fighting about clothing. We are the girls who are scouring shopping sites for deals. And there are, frankly, thousands of other young women like us,” she told The New York Times.
Phia has already attracted high-profile support. The venture secured funding from a venture capital firm, and celebrity mentor Kris Jenner is among the names in their network. Phoebe and Sophia are also set to launch a podcast, The Burnouts with Phoebe and Sophia, under Alex Cooper’s podcast company. Cooper, host of Call Her Daddy, has signed them to the brand.
When Phoebe first told her father about her interest in e-commerce , he admitted he was concerned. “Wow, a lot of people have tried, and there’s some big guys in there,” Bill Gates recalled during the interview. “I thought, ‘Oh boy, she’s going to come and ask.’” He added that while he would have helped if needed, it would have come with strings attached. “And then I would have kept her on a short leash and be doing business reviews, which I would have found tricky, and I probably would have been overly nice but wondered if it was the right thing to do? Luckily, it never happened.”
Phoebe said her mother encouraged her to raise funding independently. “She saw it as a real opportunity for me to, like, learn and fail,” she said.
Phoebe is the youngest of three children. Her older siblings, Jennifer, 28, and Rory, 25, also maintain relatively low profiles. Since their 2021 divorce, both Bill and Melinda have continued their philanthropic efforts independently.
Bill Gates has publicly stated that his children will inherit only a small fraction of his fortune. In a recent appearance on the Figuring Out With Raj Shamani podcast, he said, “My kids got a great upbringing and education, but less than 1 percent of the total wealth because I decided it wouldn’t be a favor to them. It’s not a dynasty. I’m not asking them to run Microsoft. I want to give them a chance to have their own earnings and success. You know, be significant and not overshadowed by the incredible luck and good fortune I had.”
As of April 2025, Forbes ranks Bill Gates as the 13th richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $107.6 billion.
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