Bill Gates' Daughter Phoebe Slammed for 'Pathetic' Behaviour and an 'Absolutely Worthless' App

Phoebe Gates, daughter of the billionaire Bill Gates, is at the centre of a social media firestorm.

Her recent foray into the tech world with a newly launched application has met with criticism as some users labelled her behaviour related to the app's promotion as 'pathetic' and the termed the app as 'absolutely worthless.'

A wave of displeasure is brewing against Phoebe Gates due to what some perceive as 'rich kid behaviour.'

The 22-year-old Stanford University alumna, in collaboration with her former roommate Sophia Kianni, recently introduced an online shopping application named Phia.

Phia, which became available to users on 24 April, provides consumers with a simple method for comparing the costs of new and pre-owned goods from over 40,000 different online marketplaces.

Bill Gates On Daughter's Entrepreneurial Path

Phoebe is undertaking this endeavour entirely independently, without assistance from her wealthy father, Bill Gates. He recently shared his concern that his youngest child might request funds to initiate her new business after he decided to reduce her inheritance.

'I thought, "Oh boy, she's going to come and ask,"' the 69-year-old Microsoft founder told the New York Times. 'And then I would have kept her on a short leash and be doing business reviews, which I would have found tricky, and I probably would have been overly nice but wondered if it was the right thing to do? Luckily, it never happened,' he added.

How Phoebe Gates Secured Capital Without Family Funds

Rather than relying on family funds, Phoebe secured the necessary capital on her own. She initially obtained £75230.11 ($100,000) from Soma Capital, followed by £188075.28 ($250,000) through the Stanford social entrepreneurship grant, and ultimately $500,000 from individual investors, reaching a total of £639455.94 ($850,000).

However, a particular video on TikTok is gaining traction. In it, a content creator detailed how Phoebe had supposedly 'shown disrespect' towards him.

TikTok Creator's Scathing Review Ignites Backlash

TikTok user Jarrod Jenkins, recognised for his expertise in luxury deals, uses his page to discuss news and history related to high-end fashion.

In a video shared on 12 March, he stated that Phoebe's company account requested to review their product and communicate his opinions to his audience – without any compensation.

'Mind you, this is a service that I would charge thousands of dollars for, and she didn't even subscribe to my Substack, that's $5 a month, $30 a year,' Jenkins said, showing the message he had received.

In a sharp reply, Jenkins explained that if she had contacted him before the app's release, he would have suggested delaying its launch.

Unpacking The Issues Plaguing The Phia App

He elaborated that Phia has areas that need refinement. These include its tendency to suggest completely unrelated items or products in a different state than what was searched for, its emphasis on the written details rather than the visual representation, and its limited selection of smaller, specialised stores.

'I actually downloaded the app and it's absolutely worthless,' Jenkins said. However, he then contacted them again, offering to act as an advisor – a proposition that was never acknowledged with a reply.

'Phoebe Gates and her co-founder, Sophia, aren't trying to sell an actual product - they're trying to sell vibes and "business rizz,"' Jenkins claimed.

He continued by mentioning the significant attention the two are receiving regardless of the app's reception, citing instances such as an interview with Kris Jenner, an appearance on the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast, and a feature in the New York Times.

Online Fury Targets Phoebe Gates' E-commerce Platform

'For FREE?????? and her parents are WHO?!!??!??' one TikTok user wrote in response to the claims. 'THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS AND CALLING THEM OUT,' another wrote. 'I'm so tired of privileged kids entering the fashion space and not putting in the work or at least HIRING and PAYING people who will put in the work.'

The unfavourable responses also extended to Reddit, where a user shared a link to the TikTok video within the r/NYCinfluencersnark discussion forum. Online commentators quickly criticised Phoebe for what they perceived as classic 'rich kid behaviour.'

Still, others argued that even without her father's financial input, being Bill Gates' child inherently provides a pathway to achievement, irrespective of individual skill or ability. 'Yes but having BILL GATES as your dad sure helps get Kris Jenner's attention, whether he gave her money or not...' one user wrote. 'Rich kids doing rich kid s**t,' another wrote. 'Pathetic.'