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Phoebe Gates, the youngest daughter of Bill Gates, appeared on the April 30, 2025, episode of Call Her Daddy, hosted by Alex Cooper, with her friend and business partner Sophia Kianni. During the episode, the 22-year-old opened up about her experiences at Stanford, the new company she was launching with Kianni, and her relationship with Bill Gates.
During their discussion, Alex Cooper asked Phoebe Gates whether coming from a place of privilege made it difficult for her to establish her own identity without being reduced to simply "Bill Gates’ daughter." Phoebe agreed and acknowledged that although it was difficult to step out of her father’s shadow, she never lost sight of the advantages she had received.
"But the tough thing is it’s like yeah that’s difficult but that comes with so much privilege, right? Like I didn’t have to fight for a scholarship in college. Like I didn’t. I knew my college was going to be paid for. I had incredible opportunities because of my parents," Phoebe explained.
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As per the People Magazine article dated April 28, 2025, Bill Gates and his ex-wife Melinda French Gates had three children, Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe Gates, during their 27-year marriage, which ended in divorce in 2021. Despite being the youngest of the three, Phoebe remarked that she always had the support system she needed to thrive.
"Like if I didn’t have my parents as my rock like I wouldn’t have been able to have these incredible opportunities," she explained
The youngest daughter of Bill Gates acknowledged the difficulty of emerging from her "parents’ shadows" to "make a name" for herself. Nonetheless, she concluded with gratitude, reiterating that her circumstances were far from a burden.
"And so I think saying that is like 'oh it’s it’s a hardship'. It isn’t really for me because it’s like I’ve been so blessed with what I’ve been given by my parents and I’m never going to pretend I haven’t been," she explained.
Bill Gates shares he probably would have funded Phoebe Gates’ business venture, but "luckily" she never asked
In an interview with The New York Times published on April 24, 2025, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates revealed his relief that his youngest daughter, Phoebe Gates, started her business without seeking financial support from him.
As per a New York Post article dated April 25, 2025, Phoebe Gates and her Stanford roommate Sophia Kianni co-founded an app called Phia. The app and its desktop tool were designed to help users compare prices for new and secondhand fashion across multiple platforms.
"It’s like ‘Google Flights’ for fashion… Phia finds you the best price in one click … and allows you to really easily price compare," Kianni had said (as per New York Post).
During his New York Times interview mentioned above, the 69-year-old recounted the moment Phoebe informed him that she would be launching her own company with her former Stanford roommate.
"I thought, ‘Oh boy, she’s going to come and ask [for money]'," he admitted.
He also explained that he was skeptical about Phobe entering the crowded e-commerce market where "a lot of people" had tried to create a name for themselves but "there’s some big guys in there" already.
Bill Gates also admitted that despite his reservations, he likely would have also supported Phoebe financially if she had asked for it. But "luckily" Phoebe Gates never did and set up her business independently.
"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," Bill Gates said.
As reported by People Magazine on April 27, 2025, Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni launched Phia with $100,000 from Soma Capital and a $250,000 Stanford social entrepreneurship grant. After facing multiple rejections, they ultimately secured an additional $500,000 from angel investors.
Bill Gates, currently the 13th richest person on earth, as per Forbes' 2025 World's Billionaire List, is focused on his philanthropic work through the Gates Foundation. His daughter Phoebe Gates is busy with her newest podcast, The Burnouts, which she is co-hosting with Sophia Kianni.
