Bill Gates, renowned for his intelligence and immense wealth, is just a regular dad to his three children.
Like any father, Gates has established rules for his kids to adhere to.
While television shows such as Succession often portray children of wealthy individuals as expecting handouts, Gates’ family does not follow this stereotype. The Microsoft co-founder has emphasized that his children will inherit only a minor portion of his fortune.
Gates shares three children—Phoebe, 22, Rory, 25, and Jennifer, 28—with his former wife, Melinda. The couple, who divorced in 2021, had been together for nearly three decades. Gates has expressed regret over the split.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Gates’ net worth stands at $147 billion. Despite the limited share, his children’s inheritance will still be substantial.
Recently, Phoebe, the youngest, has gained attention for launching her own podcast, The Burnouts.
In one of the episodes, Phoebe acknowledged being a ‘nepo baby’ and discussed the pressure to prove herself.
“I had so much insecurity and such a desire to prove myself,” she explained. “I came in I was like I have so much privilege, I’m a nepo baby, I had so much insecurity around that.”
Reflecting on her time at Stanford University, Phoebe mentioned: “I feel like it’s so hard when you’re a freshman in college because you have no experience, you have nothing.”
Phoebe completed her degree in Human Biology last year.
Unlike her father, who famously left Harvard, Gates urged Phoebe to complete her education without following his path.
She stated: “[My parents] were very much like, ‘You need to finish your degree; you don’t just get to like drop out and do 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.”
As the saying goes: do as I say, not as I do.