When you are the child of a billionaire, money isn’t exactly a problem. At the same time, some nepo babies do struggle a bit, going out of their way to try to prove to society that they can make it without using their family’s money. That’s the case with Phoebe Gates — daughter of Microsoft founder and tech billionaire Bill Gates. After going to Stanford, she was adamant about proving to the world that she could build her own empire. Unfortunately, along the way Gates revealed that, just like her sister, Jennifer Gates, she is incredibly out of touch.
In April 2025, Gates launched Phia, a price check app that uses AI to help shoppers find better prices. Gates and her business partner, Sophia Kianni, turned to influencers on social media like Instagram to promote their new app and add value to it. It seemed like a simple plan, but the way they went about it proves just how spoiled they had been all their lives. The ordeal also showed that they didn’t seem to know how to handle their startup business, at least at this young stage; Gates just turned 23 in 2025, while Kianni turned 24.
One of the content creators the partners reached out to was Jarrod Jenkins, a fashion influencer with over 76,000 followers on TikTok. On his channel, he sheds light on emerging fashion designers and teaches his followers how to look their best — which includes keeping an eye out for good fashion deals. In May 2025, Jenkins revealed that the Phia team reached out to him and asked him to review the app and promote it to his followers. For free. He explained it all in a TikTok video that really makes Gates out to seem pretty bratty.
Bill Gates’ daughter had to make it on her own
An expert on finding fashion deals, Jarrod Jenkins pointed out to the Phia team that the app was not delivering on its promise, and that he would’ve warned against releasing the app until a variety of things were addressed. He flagged several problems to VnExpress International, including arbitrary recommendations and the app’s failure to find the best deals. According to Jenkins, he even offered to be an advisor and help the app’s launch, but he didn’t get any response.
While it seems ridiculous that Bill Gates’ daughter would try to get business assistance for free, Phoebe Gates might have actually been short on money to pay influencers. Contrary to what most people think, she couldn’t really depend on her father’s money. She admitted her privilege to The New York Times by stating: “If the business is successful, people will say, ‘It’s because of her family.’ And a huge portion of that is true.” However, Gates also revealed that her mother (Melinda Gates) told her to get the money to fuel her passion project on her own, like any non-nepo baby would do. “She saw it as a real opportunity for me to, like, learn and fail,” Gates said.
According to Forbes, Gates and her business partner, Sophia Kianni, were able to raise close to one million dollars through a combination of early investors and grants. Since she employed four full-time engineers, she might not have the funds to pay influencers who, like Jenkins, charged over $100,000 for their service. However, reaching out to him through his free tier on Substack, saying she is a fan of his work, asking him to do it for free, and then ignoring all his recommendations is not exactly the most professional behavior in the business. Jenkins underscored: “the daughter of Bill Gates disrespected me.”
