Meet Bill and Melinda Gates' Gen Z daughter Phoebe, a Stanford graduate, activist, and fashion entrepreneur

Phoebe Gates is the youngest daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates.

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, who married in 1994 and divorced in 2021, have three children: Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 22. The children all went to Seattle's Lakeside School, a private high school their father also attended, and are now on different trajectories.

Jennifer is a decorated equestrian who graduated from medical school in May, while Rory is a congressional analyst, according to a 2023 Puck report. While her brother stays out of the spotlight, Phoebe is sharing her life online, and has ambitions in the fashion industry.

The three Gates children will inherit at least some of their parents' wealth: Bill Gates has said he plans to leave them "only" $10 million each.

"I definitely think leaving kids massive amounts of money is not a favor to them," Gates said in a 2013 Reddit "Ask Me Anything." "Warren Buffett was part of an article in Fortune talking about this in 1986 before I met him, and it made me think about it and decide he was right."

Today, nearly five decades after cofounding Microsoft, Bill Gates has an estimated fortune of $139 billion, Forbes reported in September. He left Microsoft's board in 2020 — although is still reportedly "intimately involved" at the company — and has remained focused on the Gates Foundation, which he once ran with French Gates. She also became a billionaire following their divorce.

She shares glimpses of her parents on her social media pages, which have accumulated hundreds of thousands of followers.

As of September 2024, Phoebe Gates has 474,000 followers on Instagram and 243,300 followers on TikTok.

A day after posting a video of her sharing bubble tea with her dad in October 2023, she gained over 59,000 TikTok followers, according to analytics website Social Blade.

"Father-daughter bubble tea time," read a caption under the TikTok post.

In the clip, which has received 16.9 million views on TikTok and uses "As It Was" by Harry Styles as a backing track, Phoebe sits opposite her billionaire father as they both poke straws into cups of bubble tea and smile at one another overlooking a Manhattan skyline.

Bill Gates has made appearances on other creators' TikTok accounts in the past, often participating in math or art challenges, although he does not have an account himself.

Phoebe Gates has also shared moments with her mom, most recently posting a birthday tribute on Instagram in August. Beneath a carousel of recent and childhood photos, she wrote, "Mom, you taught me first and most about love. You inspire me forever, and always, and now the whole world. Happiest birthday to you."

Gates graduated from Stanford University in June, and she has previously vlogged about her college life.

While studying at Stanford, Gates showcased her dorm room and filmed vlog-style updates about her life at college. In one TikTok posted in December 2022, she filmed herself riding a bike to a stats class, and later showed herself making a very student-esque pasta dish for dinner.

In June 2024, she graduated after just three years, telling Nylon, "I knew I had to make it happen if I could, because I wanted to watch my mother deliver this year's commencement speech as a graduate. I can't think of a better ending!"

Gates blogged her graduation day with the outlet, sharing that she celebrated the milestone with a party attended by her mom, dad, and boyfriend Arthur Donald, the 25-year-old grandson of Paul McCartney.

"So grateful to have my parents by my side on this day," she wrote.

She is passionate about sustainable fashion and is pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities in the industry with her own platform, Phia.

On TikTok, Gates has previously posted about attending fashion week in Copenhagen and New York. She has also shared informational clips about sustainable fashion and promoted buying secondhand clothes.

In August 2023, Vogue reported that Gates is co-launching her own fashion platform, called Phia, with her fellow Stanford student and roommate Sophia Kianni (pictured above left).

That month, the duo landed a partnership with Stella McCartney and her namesake fashion house, designing a capsule collection of handbags in honor of the US Open's 50th anniversary.

Gates told Vogue, "Stella has been able to build this empire while still holding onto her values. We reached out many times, and eventually, she really took us under her wing and has since been an advisor to us as we build out this platform."

Kianni also added, "We want to identify everyone who is doing incredible things, learn from them, and see how we can accelerate progress together."

As of September 2024, the company has upward of 43,000 followers on Instagram with the bio, "The smartest way to shop. Follow to find out."

So far, Phia has shared moodboards, outfit inspiration carousels, and secondhand fashion finds.

Following in her parents' footsteps, Gates is an outspoken social activist.

The 22-year-old appears to be taking after her parents, especially her mother, who has advocated for access to birth control around the world for many years. One of the topics Gates has frequently addressed on her TikTok and Instagram pages is reproductive health and advocating for abortion rights.

She's posted TikToks of herself speaking about access to contraception at events, including Goalkeepers, hosted by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and shared resources on her Instagram.

In January 2023, Phoebe shared a TikTok where she and her mom discussed women's access to contraceptives.

"So you're a huge advocate for contraceptives," Phoebe said to her mom. "I mean, you've always hammered this into me since I was a child, about deciding for my body and having body autonomy."

In December 2023, the mother-daughter pair shared another conversation on TikTok where Phoebe explained why she's an advocate for reproductive health.

"I think for me, coming for age in this country, our generation has been put in a spot where a lot of times we feel quite a bit powerless," she said. "You know, not having the freedom to make choices about your own reproductive health, your own ... your very own body."

In September 2024, Phoebe was featured in an episode of her father's Netflix documentary series, "What's Next? The Future With Bill Gates."

Phoebe Gates was featured on the series' second episode, "Truth or Consequences?" She spoke with her father about social media and misinformation.

She said she sees conspiracy theories about him online "all the time," and shared, "I've even had friends cut me off because of these vaccine rumors."

The pair also shared a funny generation-gap moment when the senior Gates asked, "And how many IDs do you typically have on a system?" His confused daughter replied, "How many what?" which led to Bill offering clarification so she could explain that yes, people often have multiple accounts on the same social media platforms, such as a public one and a "spam" for close friends.

Phoebe Gates went on to describe her social media strategy, saying that she understands people often come to her page because of her last name but likes to add information about reproductive health and justice in her posts.

"It's a fine line between being personable but then also weaving in your real agenda. OK, here's the numbers, here's the science, here's the facts," she said.

The pair finished their conversation with an important reminder for the father of three: "Text me, don't email me," Phoebe Gates said. "No one uses email for personal communications."

In June, she confirmed she's dating Paul McCartney's grandson, Arthur.

In her June 2024 graduation diary for Nylon, Gates shared photos of herself with her boyfriend, Arthur Donald. Alongside one of the images, she joked that he "cleans up nicely," while in another, he carried her on his back.

Donald, 25, is the oldest of Paul McCartney's eight grandchildren, People reported. He is the son of the Beatles' star's daughter, Mary, and her ex-husband, Alistair Donald.

He grew up in London and attended Yale University. He is an investor at the Collaborative Fund, a venture capital firm "for entrepreneurs pushing the world forward," according to its website.

Gates and Donald were also pictured together at the premiere of "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans" held in New York City in January.