You’ve probably seen the headlines. "Billionaire heiress lives in $51 million penthouse." Or maybe the one about how Bill Gates is famously leaving "only" $10 million to each of his kids. People love to talk about bill gates daughter as if they’re just two-dimensional characters in a story about tech money.
But honestly? The reality of Phoebe and Jennifer Gates is a lot more interesting than the "poor little rich girl" trope. They aren't just sitting around in Seattle mansions. One is literally finishing 24-hour shifts as a doctor in New York, and the other is trying to build a tech empire that has nothing to do with Microsoft.
The Doctor in the Family: Jennifer Gates Nassar
Jennifer is the eldest. She’s 29 now, and if you follow her on Instagram, you know her life looks like a mix of high-stakes equestrianism and the brutal reality of medical residency.
She graduated from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in May 2024. Most people expected her to take a "soft" path into philanthropy, but she chose a pediatric residency at Mt. Sinai instead. It’s a grind. She’s been open about being the "exhausted post-call version" of herself.
Basically, while most people her age are figuring out their first "real" job, she’s balancing:
- A Medical Career: Completing her intern year and now moving deeper into pediatrics.
- Motherhood: She has two daughters, Leila (born March 2023) and Mia (born October 2024), with her husband, Olympic equestrian Nayel Nassar.
- The Stables: She still runs Evergate Stables, an international show-jumping operation.
It’s worth noting that while she acknowledges her massive privilege—she lives in a Tribeca penthouse bought by her parents and has access to top-tier childcare—she’s still doing the work. You can’t pay someone to take your medical boards for you.
Phoebe Gates: The New Face of Fashion Tech
Then there’s the youngest, Phoebe Adele Gates. If Jennifer is the quiet, academic one, Phoebe is the one making noise in the startup world. She’s 23 and just graduated from Stanford in 2024.
She did it in three years.
While at Stanford, she wasn't just studying human biology. She was co-founding Phia, an AI-powered shopping platform. Honestly, the tech is kind of cool—it’s like a specialized search engine for fashion that focuses on price comparison and sustainability. It’s basically "Google Flights for your wardrobe."
Why Phia Actually Matters
- Massive Funding: In late 2025, Phia raised a staggering $30 million, bringing its valuation to around $180 million.
- The Network: She didn't just go to her dad for money. The investors include people like Kris Jenner, Hailey Bieber, and Sheryl Sandberg.
- The Strategy: Phoebe and her co-founder, Sophia Kianni, use a "radical transparency" model. They host a podcast called The Burnouts where they talk about how hard it is to build a company. It’s very Gen Z.
There was a rumor that Bill Gates didn't want her to drop out of college to start a business. Turns out, he was right—she finished the degree first. Now, she’s one of the few "nepobabies" actually building a scalable tech product that people are using. Phia already has over 500,000 users.
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Misconceptions About the "Gates Inheritance"
We have to talk about the money. Everyone mentions the $10 million figure.
"Bill Gates is only giving his kids $10 million!"
It’s a great headline, but it’s a bit of a simplification. While Bill and Melinda have been vocal about the majority of their wealth going to the Gates Foundation, "minimal" is a relative term when you're worth over $100 billion.
The kids grew up in "Xanadu 2.0," a $131 million estate. They attended Lakeside School, one of the most elite private schools in the country. Their "startup capital" is effectively infinite because of the education and connections they have. Jennifer’s $34 million horse farm in North Salem wasn't bought with a medical resident's salary.
The point isn't that they are "self-made" in the traditional sense. It’s that they are using that platform for something other than just being "famous for being famous."
Living Under the "Gates" Shadow
It can't be easy. Imagine your dad being the guy who basically invented the modern world—and then becoming the subject of every conspiracy theory on the internet.
Phoebe has talked about this. She’s been vocal on TikTok about the "misconceptions and conspiracy theories" she sees about her family. She uses her platform to talk about reproductive rights and women’s health, often working alongside her mother, Melinda.
They are carving out identities that feel distinct. Jennifer is the doctor. Rory (the middle child) is the academic, currently working on a PhD and acting as an analyst for the Afghanistan War Commission. Phoebe is the entrepreneur.
What You Can Learn from Their Path
Looking at the lives of bill gates daughter provides a weirdly practical blueprint for how to handle extreme privilege—or even just a lucky break.
- Diversify your identity: Don't just be "the daughter of X." Jennifer is a doctor first in many circles.
- Use the network, but do the work: Phoebe used her connections to get the $30M funding, but the app has to actually work for 500k people to keep using it.
- Acknowledge the help: Both sisters are surprisingly candid about the fact that they have help. It makes them more relatable than the "hustle culture" influencers who pretend they did it all alone in a garage.
If you want to keep up with them, Phoebe is the one to follow on social media for tech and fashion updates. If you’re more into the medical or equestrian world, Jennifer’s feed is where the "real life" residency updates happen. Both are proving that while the Gates name gets them in the door, they're the ones deciding which room to stay in.
Next Steps for You:
Check out the Phia app if you're looking for a more sustainable way to shop, or read Phoebe's latest essays in Vogue regarding reproductive freedom to see the advocacy work she's doing outside of tech.