Influencer Alleges Low Pay Offer, Sparks Debate

3 min readNew DelhiApr 8, 2026 02:58 PM IST

Billionaire US businessman Bill Gates’s daughter, Phoebe Gates, is facing backlash after an influencer, Kacie Margis, accused her of allegedly gaslighting her and attempting to hire her for less than her $250 a job rate. Margis took to social media and shared a screenshot of a message from Phoebe Gates.

“When a billionaire’s daughter says the budget is ‘super limited’ and it’s a ‘scrappy little startup’ to try to pay me less than what my posted rates are. (This message was from last year),” Margis wrote on Threads.

Margis claimed that Phoebe found her through Collabstr, a free online marketplace that connects brands with influencers for paid collaborations. The screenshot attached to the post read, “Hey, love! I came across your profile on Collabstr and I’m such a fan of your content. I’m the founder of @phiaco we’re launching at the end of this month (!!) and I’d be sooo honored if you’d be down to collab and help share. We built the first-ever price comparison tool that helps you shop smarter by finding cheaper secondhand and discounted options while you browse.”

“We’d love to give you early access and have you be part of this launch moment. We’re still a scrappy startup, so budget’s super limited, but we’d still ng work if you’re open. Feel free to send your rates topbia.com and pl hope we can work together!” the message added.

See the post here:

 

 

The post has since gone viral, drawing a wave of reactions. A user claimed that Phoebe has allegedly been stealing startup ideas. “Phoebe Gate’s also just flat out steals other startups ideas, IP, marketing, etc… on top of leveraging creators to work for free. She’s honestly a cancer in the sustainable fashion space,” the user wrote.

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on unverified social media claims and viral discussions that have not been independently confirmed. The views and accusations presented reflect the perspectives of the individuals involved and are intended for informational purposes only.

“INSANE that she didn’t want to pay you $250. We are done letting these billionaire grifting assholes off the hook. Proud of you for calling her out,” another user commented.

“That kind of overly casual mannerism from a stranger while they’re asking for a favor always gives me the ick,” a third user chimed in.

 

© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

The Social Skinny: OpenAI requests Elon Musk probe; Uber taps Amazon for in-house chips

Traveling tech: Global news Joining Australia and Indonesia in banning social media for youth users, Greece announced a national social media ban for citizens younger than 15 on Wednesday. The legislation is predicted to pass this summer and take effect on January 1, 2027, according to a statement from Greece’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The ban does not

Australian Celebrities Flock to Coachella Festival

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › The annual Coachella festival draws a celebrity-filled crowd eager to showcase their wealth and party atmosphere.Coachella Today A number of high-profile Australian celebrities have traveled to California to attend the annual Coachella music festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio. The festival, known for its lavish

Trump’s tax cuts benefit the middle class

Democrats keep attacking President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 as a tax cut for the rich. But the data show that the average family gained roughly $2,000 on their lower tax bill for this year. Every Democrat in Congress voted no, even as they complain of a “middle-class affordability crisis.” Maybe that’s because

China’s Xi hosts Taiwan’s opposition leader in 1st such meeting in over a decade

Saadet Gokce 10 April 2026•Update: 10 April 2026 Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Taiwan’s opposition party leader Cheng Li-wun in Beijing on Friday, in the first such meeting in over a decade. The Kuomintang (KMT) party chairwoman visited Jiangsu province and Shanghai before traveling to the capital, according to the state-run news agency Xinhua. She

Quote of the Day by Jeff Bezos: ‘I believe you have to be willing to be misunderstood if you’re going to innovate. How did he apply this idea while building Amazon?

Quote of the Day by Jeff Bezos: Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos revealed in an interview that part of the journey to becoming extraordinarily successful was standing firm in his convictions even when others doubted him. “One thing that I tell people is … if you’re going to do anything new or innovative, you

CA Democrats urge officials to prep for Trump ballot seizures

(From left) Ranking Member Joe Morelle (NY-25), Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Kevin MulIin (CA-15) and Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-04) hold a press conference following a “shadow hearing” on how House Democrats “will continue fighting to protect our democracy” with Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi inside the Baxter Appellate courtroom at UC

Beyoncé celebrates new Cécred collection with star-studded hair show

Beyoncé celebrates new Cécred collection with star-studded hair show U.S. Politics Sports Entertainment Life Money Travel Opinion Crossword ONLY AT USA TODAY: OUR PORTFOLIO: April 9, 2026, 8:05 p.m. ET Beyoncé celebrates the launch of her haircare line Cécred’s new Styling Collection with her mother, Tina Knowles, during a star-studded event in Los Angeles on

The Costs of Trump’s Iran-War Folly

Instead of regime change, Trump has succeeded merely in swapping one Supreme Leader named Khamenei—the aging ayatollah whose killing Trump celebrated on the first day of the war—for another Supreme Leader named Khamenei, the ayatollah’s son, who appears to be even more of a hard-liner than his father was. As for the many, many other

Should You Buy Beloved Warren Buffett Stock Coca-Cola Before April 28?

Key Points Coca-Cola is scheduled to report first-quarter results on April 28. Analysts are expecting a double-digit increase in earnings per share. The outlook under new CEO Henrique Braun will likely be watched closely. Investing is often an event-driven pursuit. Even buy-and-hold market participants need to be mindful of geopolitical headlines, new product launches, and

As Trump throws lifeline to coal plants, critics warn of higher costs and health risks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Before Donald Trump returned to the White House, the Biden administration and many electric utilities were building a future dominated by renewable energy. They aimed to replace coal, slashing greenhouse gases and reducing air pollution that kills more than a thousand people annually. READ MORE: Zeldin tells climate skeptics to ‘celebrate vindication’

Canada urges inclusion of Lebanon in US-Iran ceasefire amid heightened Israeli attacks

Merve Aydogan 09 April 2026•Update: 09 April 2026 Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday emphasized the need to include Lebanon in the Iran ceasefire amid Israel’s heightened attacks on the country. “The ceasefire is very fragile. I think that’s obvious,” Carney told reporters at an event in Quebec, where he announced “an important initiative”

I Tested Celebrity Beauty Brands—Here Are the Best (And Worst)

Within my first six months of working at Cosmopolitan, I interviewed two celebrity beauty brand founders. In the four years since, I’ve met countless A-listers-turned-beauty-founders and tested every single one of their products, even the ones that made me go “huh?” At this point, launching a beauty brand feels like a celebrity rite of passage.

How Economics is Driving Celebrities Towards the MAGA Movement

Dying for relevance and a hunger for cash…celebrities are starving to protect their profiles in an industry that is known to have a short attention span. In such desperation, celebrities and influencers see the MAGA movement as a refuge from flailing and falling into oblivion. These celebrities are namesakes in our community, and yet they

Montana Celebrity Sightings 2026

I’m going to be honest, I’ve lived in Bozeman for years, and I have yet to spot anyone famous. I bring this up because it seems that celebrity spotting’s are a big deal here in Montana, especially around the Bozeman area. Just in the last couple of weeks there have been Shaq and Justin Timberlake

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x