It appears Bill Gates’ daughter may have unintentionally revealed a medical condition her father might have during a recent interview.
Known for his significant contributions to modern technology, Bill Gates has often kept his personal life out of the limelight.
Nonetheless, Phoebe Gates, his daughter, may have disclosed a private aspect of her father’s health—a potential medical diagnosis.
The 22-year-old shared this information during an appearance on Alex Cooper’s podcast, Call Her Daddy, when she seemingly hinted at her father’s condition. The host questioned her about what it was like introducing men to her family, particularly her esteemed father.
Phoebe responded: “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, like to me, it’s so funny.”
While Gates has not publicly acknowledged having Asperger’s syndrome, he has mentioned that he suspects he might be diagnosed with autism if he were a child in today’s world.
Asperger syndrome, recognized as a type of autism, characterizes individuals at the ‘higher functioning end’ of the autism spectrum.
The Cleveland Clinic notes: “Asperger’s syndrome is a diagnosis that healthcare providers no longer use. Prior to 2013, it described a brain difference that affects social interactions and certain behaviors. Today, people with the features of Asperger’s receive a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).”
The clinic further explains that the symptoms of Asperger’s generally fall into three categories: social interactions, communication, and restricted, repetitive, or stereotyped interests and behaviors.
For instance, a sign under social interaction might include ‘difficulty engaging in back-and-forth social interactions, like conversations’.
In terms of communication, the clinic highlights ‘repetitive use of certain phrases or expressions’ as a possible sign.
In the third category, signs may include an ‘unusually strong interest in specific topics, like baseball stats or how airplanes work’ and a ‘fascination with an object’s parts’.
After Phoebe’s unintentional disclosure, the clip circulated on social media, prompting discussions about the likelihood of Gates being autistic.
One social media user commented: “Not exactly surprising.”
Another remarked: “Turns out Bill Gates is not just a genius at tech, he’s also part of the cool autism spectrum club!”
However, one person challenged these assumptions by stating: “There seems to be a lot of self diagnosing going on here. Being high in trait disagreeableness, focused, highly intelligent does not necessarily mean one is ‘on the spectrum’.”