Phoebe Gates, daughter of Bill Gates, recently opened up about the challenges of being labeled a “nepo baby” due to her father’s immense wealth and achievements.
Bill Gates, known for founding Microsoft, remains one of the wealthiest people globally, having revolutionized the tech sector.
Phoebe, at 22, has carved out her own identity, gaining a substantial following on TikTok and launching a podcast.
Her podcast, titled Burnouts, is co-hosted with Sophia Kianni, and the duo covers a wide range of topics for their listeners.
In the first episode, Phoebe revealed her strong urge to prove herself, given the stigma associated with being a “nepo baby.”
“I was like, I have so much privilege. I’m a nepo baby,” Phoebe admitted, explaining that she felt ‘insecure’ about being associated with that label.
She has previously mentioned that one of the hardest parts of being in the spotlight is the misconceptions and false narratives about her family and life.
Speaking to The Information, Phoebe noted that a major downside of social media is dealing with ‘misconceptions and conspiracy theories’.
“I’m pretty realistic that people start following me because of my family name. And people probably find it funny to see my dad being a goof and playing Boxbollen,” she said.
“But once they follow me, they stick around, and I think some of that is because of the issues that I post about, like women’s health. And honestly, TikTok is fun.”
Following her graduation, Phoebe transitioned into the fashion world after completing a degree in human biology last year.
Phoebe credits her mother, Melinda French Gates, for helping her realize her own potential, inspired by Stella McCartney’s achievements despite her famous father, Sir Paul McCartney.
In an interview with WWD, Phoebe said: “Her and my mom are actually good friends. Even when I was little she would send me stuff and little notes and I’d be so excited. I’ve been asking my mom forever and ever if I could meet with her.”
“I felt very connected to her [Stella], I feel like because she’s been able to use the platform she had, because of who her dad is, and then she took that and instead of being like, ‘Oh, people define me by this,’ she took it and she was like, ‘OK, I have this immense privilege, now I’m going to use it to leverage something’.”