Bill Gates Explains Why He Didn't Fund Daughter Phoebe's Business: "I Would Have..."

Tech billionaire Bill Gates expressed gratitude that his youngest daughter, Phoebe Gates, secured funding for her startup independently, without relying on him. In a New York Times interview, Mr Gates revealed he anticipated she'd ask for financial help when launching her company. While he made it clear that he would have been more than happy to help his daughter out financially, he also acknowledged that his support would have likely come with certain conditions and strings attached. 

"I would have kept her on a short leash and been doing business reviews, which I would have found tricky. And I probably would have been overly nice, but I wondered if it was the right thing to do. Luckily, it never happened," he said.

Notably, Phoebe Gates, 22, has recently launched her startup Phia, a digital fashion platform that aggregates clothing prices across over 40,000 websites. This platform aims to make online shopping smarter and more sustainable by providing users with the best deals on fashion items. Ms Gates co-founded Phia with her friend Sophia Kianni, and their platform is designed to promote second-hand shopping, reducing waste and carbon footprint.

After graduating from Stanford in 2024, Ms Gates has raised over $500,000 from venture capitalists and angel investors, showcasing her entrepreneurial skills. Unlike her father, who famously left Harvard to start Microsoft, Ms Gates said leaving college was not considered an option.

"They were very much like, 'You need to finish your degree; you don't just get to drop out and work for a company. Which is so funny because my dad literally did that, and that's, like, the reason I'm able to go to Stanford or have my tuition paid," she said.

Bill Gates shares three children with his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates: Jennifer (28), Rory (25), and Phoebe. According to Forbes' 2025 World's Billionaire List, Bill Gates is currently the 13th richest person globally, with a net worth of approximately $102.2 billion.