Tech billionaire Bill Gates, his ex-wife Melinda French Gates, and their family never fail to make it to the headlines. And these days, Melinda and Bill Gates’ daughter Phoebe, is much in the news lately. Unlike her parents, Phoebe has an interest in fashion, and she recently co-founded Phia, an AI-powered shopping app, alongside her former Stanford University roommate. The young entrepreneur also appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast recently, where she opened up about her personal life and her father Bill Gates.
Talking about her father, Bill Gates, Phoebe Gates said that her father has Asperger’s syndrome — a condition now recognized as part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She also opened up about how her father’s unique personality traits can sometimes create humorous situations, particularly when she’s introducing him to new guys she brought home!
Sharing how Bill Gates reacts to new people, Phoebe said, “For the guy, terrifying. For me, it’s hilarious because my dad’s pretty socially awkward. Like he’s said before, he has Asperger’s. So, to me, it’s so funny.”
All about Phoebe Gates
During their 27 years marriage, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates had three children together– Jeniffer, Rory, and Phoebe. Interestingly, all their children have carved a niche for themselves in different fields– away from their famous parents’ shadows. Their youngest child, Phoebe Adele Gates was born in 2002. She is the co-founder of Phia app— a smart new AI shopping tool that shows you if you’re overpaying for fashion, and a podcast named The Burnouts.
Phoebe Gates’ is deeply interested in fashion and she is also a voracious reader, just like her father!
Bill Gates on the Autism Spectrum
While Bill Gates, 69, has not publicly confirmed a formal diagnosis of Asperger’s, he has previously acknowledged that he likely falls somewhere on the autism spectrum. In his 2025 memoir, ‘Source Code: My Beginnings’, he wrote, “If I were growing up today, I probably would be diagnosed on the autism spectrum.”
Gates reflected on childhood behaviours such as intense focus on certain topics, difficulty understanding social cues, and often being unaware of how his actions were perceived by others. He has also admitted in earlier interviews that he dislikes small talk and prefers working alone, both commonly associated traits of ASD.
In a January interview with The Wall Street Journal, Gates commented on how perceptions of autism have evolved. “This whole thing of Asperger’s or being on the spectrum is a fairly new thing,” he said. “It used to be autism had a fairly narrow definition that was, you know, clearly identifiable.”
Bill Gates joins a growing list of high-profile individuals who have opened up about being on the autism spectrum. Among them is Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who publicly disclosed in 2021 that he has Asperger’s syndrome.