There is rarely a moment when Bill Gates is not making headlines, either for his recent status as top US farmland owner or because he’s the target of yet another weird disinformation campaign. Regardless of why he’s in the spotlight on any given day, many people regard his wife Melinda as his unwavering partner. Their foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, works to promote gender equality, global health, and global development, among many other critical issues.
But what about his kids? You may not know that Bill Gates’ daughter, Phoebe Adele Gates, has inherited her family’s kindness (albeit in Gen Z fashion). Learn more about Phoebe and how her upbringing shaped her into the young woman she is today.
Who Is Phoebe Adele Gates?
Phoebe Gates was born on September 14, 2002, in Bellevue, a suburb of Seattle, Washington. She is the third and youngest child of Bill and Melinda Gates. She has an older sister, Jennifer (24), and an older brother, Rory (21).
Once an aspiring ballerina, Phoebe was educated at the Professional Children’s School in New York City. She also studied at The School of American Ballet at the famed Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, as well as the prestigious Juilliard School (where fellow alumni include Robin Williams, Adam Driver, and Patti LuPone.)
She also has a brainy side. In this 2018 Instagram post from Bill Gates, the tech mogul reveals his and Phoebe’s shared hobby—reading. He also lets her use his platform for share thoughts on the John Green novel Turtles All the Way Down:
Bill Gates Raised Phoebe And Her Siblings ‘Tech Free’
Phoebe’s father may be a multi-billionaire, but she and her siblings were hardly spoiled. In a 2017 interview with the Mirror, Gates says that he forbid hid children from having smartphones until they were 14 years old. (“They complained other kids got them earlier,” he told the outlet.) Screen time was limited before bed and, now that they’re adults, he continues to forbid phones at the dinner table.
As more stories surfaced about successful figures—Steve Jobs, Mark Cuban, Alexis Ohanian—limiting their children’s screen time, scientific studies confirmed it was a wise move. In Dr. Jean Twenge’s book, iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood—and What That Means for the Rest of Us, the San Diego State University psychology professor writes:
“All screen activities are linked to less happiness, and all nonscreen activities are linked to more happiness. Eighth-graders who spend 10 or more hours a week on social media are 56 percent more likely to say they’re unhappy than those who devote less time to social media.”
Twenge’s study also determined that “teens who spend three hours a day or more on electronic devices are 35 percent more likely to have a risk factor for suicide, such as making a suicide plan.”
Despite their protests as tweens, we are guessing the Gates’ kids are grateful they traded endless hours of social media scrolling for their mental well-being.
Phoebe And Her Siblings Won’t Be Seeing Billions Of Dollars In Their Inheritance
Many who follows Gates know that he and Melinda joined Warren Buffett to establish The Giving Pledge. The organization, which is made up of fourteen billionaires and billionaires couples, pledges to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.
This means that none of the Gates children should expect to inherit billions. Not to say that they’ll be destitute—although it hasn’t been confirmed, some sources believe the kids will receive $10 million each. In a 2017 appearance on This Morning, Gates explained his decision.
“Our kids will receive a great education and some money so they are never going to be poorly off but they’ll go out and have their own career,” he said. “It’s not a favor to kids to have them have huge sums of wealth. It distorts anything they might do, creating their own path.”
Gates added that his children are aware of his decision and support it. “This money is dedicated to helping the poorest,” he said. “They know that, they are proud of that, they go on trips with us to see the work that’s being done.”
What Is Phoebe Adele Gates Doing Today?
Phoebe is said to be living with her folks in their spectacular Medina, Washington compound. Dubbed Xanadu 2.0, the property draws so much attention that it has its own Wikipedia page.
The property is said to be worth $127 million. Fun details of the Pacific Northwest hideaway include an artificial stream (stocked with fish) and a beach with sand imported from the Caribbean. Gates even confirmed in a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” that a fabled trampoline room was in fact a real feature.
“I have a nice house,” he wrote. “It includes a trampoline room which seems kind of over the top, but my kids love using it to work off their excess energy. I am not sure how guilty I should feel about being in a great house.”
Phoebe has finally been granted a phone and is active on social media, but she keeps the details of her life to a minimum. From what we can gather, she currently spends her time remote learning and hiking with her pup. She even convinced her dad to join her in a now-deleted TikTok dance vid to tell her and her followers that they “hope everyone is staying safe” during the COVID-19 pandemic.