Phoebe Gates, the 22-year-old daughter of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, has revealed that the billionaire philanthropist has Asperger’s syndrome, the New York Post said. While speaking on Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast, she talked about what it’s like to bring men home to her father.
Phoebe Gates explained, "For the guy, it's terrifying. For me, it’s hilarious because my dad’s pretty socially awkward. Like he’s said before, he has Asperger’s. So, to me, it’s so funny."
Bill Gates has never publicly confirmed that he has Asperger’s syndrome, he has previously suggested that he most likely has autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
“If I were growing up today, I probably would be diagnosed on the autism spectrum. During my childhood, the fact that some people’s brains process information differently from others wasn’t widely understood. My parents had no guideposts or textbooks to help them grasp why their son became so obsessed with certain projects, missed social cues, and could be rude and inappropriate without seeming to notice his effect on others," he wrote in his 2025 memoir, “Source Code.”
‘Always knew I was different’
He said that by the time formal testing for autistic spectrum disorders was introduced in the 1980s, he was already an adult and the term “neurodivergent” wouldn’t be coined until the 1990s.
{{/usCountry}}He said that by the time formal testing for autistic spectrum disorders was introduced in the 1980s, he was already an adult and the term “neurodivergent” wouldn’t be coined until the 1990s.
{{/usCountry}}However, he said he always knew his brain worked differently.
“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. And 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," he said.
He had revealed that he first realised that he could be neurodivergent when someone asked him if he was "on the spectrum."
"It was like 25 years ago. I remember thinking, ‘What the hell? What the hell? I run a goddamn company.’ And then I realised, well, actually, it’s probably true. I mean, the spectrum thing is confusing," he said.