Microsoft co-founder and billionaire Bill Gates may have just had a long-rumored personal condition confirmed—by his own daughter.
During an appearance on the popular podcast Call Her Daddy this week, Phoebe Gates, a 22-year-old Stanford University student, openly stated that her father has Asperger’s syndrome, a condition on the autism spectrum that affects millions of people worldwide.
“My dad is pretty socially awkward. He’s said he, you know, has Asperger’s,” Phoebe told host Alex Cooper during the interview.
She added, in a moment of candid humor, that bringing boyfriends home to meet Gates is often nerve-wracking for them because of her father’s unique personality. “Bringing a guy home is terrifying for the guy. It’s also kind of hilarious for me,” she joked.
Though Bill Gates has never formally announced a medical diagnosis, he has acknowledged exhibiting traits associated with Asperger’s and the broader autism spectrum. In his 2023 memoir Source Code, Gates openly discussed his lifelong struggles with social interaction and extreme focus on specific interests—both hallmark characteristics of Asperger’s.
“I was a hyper-focused kid. I would get so lost in what I was doing, I’d forget to eat,” Gates wrote. “I probably would’ve been diagnosed today, and that’s