In a recent podcast appearance, Phoebe Gates, the 22-year-old daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates, accidentally revealed a personal detail about her father that he had never publicly disclosed. During her conversation with Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Phoebe mentioned that her father has Asperger’s syndrome, a condition that is now considered part of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Phoebe’s comment came up while she was discussing her experiences with bringing home guys to meet her dad. She described her father as “socially awkward” and mentioned that he has Asperger’s, which she finds humorous. However, this revelation is significant because Bill Gates has never publicly disclosed this information before.
According to WebMD, Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental disorder that is characterized by a specific routine and average or above-average intelligence. People with Asperger’s are less likely to have learning disabilities. Although doctors no longer diagnose people with Asperger’s Syndrome, it is sometimes classified as a “high-functioning” type of ASD.
Interestingly, Bill Gates did hint at his neurodiverse traits in his memoir, Source Code: My Beginnings. He wrote about how his parents struggled to understand his obsessive behavior and social cues, and how he might have been diagnosed with autism if he were a child today.
When someone suggested that he might have autism, Gates reportedly said that he initially reacted with skepticism but later realized that it was probably true. Phoebe’s comment adds to the intrigue behind Bill Gates and his journey, and it will be interesting to see how this revelation affects the public’s perception of him [1].
