Phoebe Gates has inadvertently disclosed that her father, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, has Asperger’s syndrome.
The unexpected announcement came during the 22-year-old Stanford student’s appearance on Alex Cooper’s widely-followed podcast “Call Her Daddy” this Wednesday.
While discussing the experience of introducing boyfriends to her famous father, Phoebe casually mentioned his condition.
“My dad is pretty socially awkward. He’s said he, you know, has Asperger’s,” she remarked during the conversation, seemingly unaware of the significance of her statement.
This revelation has drawn considerable attention because Bill Gates, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, has never publicly confirmed such a diagnosis himself.
Although the tech mogul has previously acknowledged identifying with traits associated with the autism spectrum, this marks the first time a family member has directly referenced a specific condition.
The billionaire philanthropist, now 69, has not issued any public response to his daughter’s comments, which quickly spread across social media platforms.
In his 2023 memoir titled “Source Code,” Gates wrote that if he were growing up today, he likely would have received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
Gates detailed his childhood struggles with social interactions and his tendency to become intensely focused on specific interests – characteristics commonly associated with Asperger’s syndrome, which medical professionals now classify as part of the broader autism spectrum.
“I was a hyper-focused kid. I would get so lost in what I was doing, I’d forget to eat,” Gates wrote in his memoir.
“I probably would’ve been diagnosed today, and that’s not a bad thing – it’s part of who I am.”
In a February interview with Axios, Gates further elaborated on his experiences feeling different from his peers during childhood.
“I always knew I was different in ways that confused people in terms of my energy level and intensity, and going off and just studying things,” he stated during the interview.
Gates continued, “It’s a little confusing when you’re a kid, that you’re different, or people react to you in some ways, or your social skills – you’re miscuing on various things.”
The Microsoft co-founder credited his parents with helping him navigate these challenges, saying, “I definitely think my parents, maybe somewhat unintentionally, because there was no diagnosis, but the way they would explain things to me or push me to socialize was very helpful.”
During the same podcast appearance, Phoebe Gates also discussed her relationship with Arthur Donald, the 26-year-old grandson of former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, whom she has been dating for nearly two years.
The Daily Mail highlighted that in the aftermath of Phoebe’s revelation, social media users have expressed mixed reactions, with some suggesting the news confirms long-held suspicions about the tech pioneer’s neurodivergent traits.
WATCH:
Bill Gates made headlines earlier this year for expressing concern over the Trump administration’s scrutiny of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and warning of the potential for a future pandemic even more severe than COVID-19.
He addressed Elon Musk’s growing influence in the Trump White House, calling it “insane” and stating that he is “a little worried particularly with” the administration’s stance on USAID.
Gates underscored the critical role USAID plays in global health efforts. “My foundation partners with USAID on nutrition and getting vaccines out,” he said, TTOA reported back in February.
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HOW ABOUT INCLUDE MENTAL INSANITY OR GOD COMPLEX!