This story originally appeared on Business Insider.
“Father-daughter bubble tea time,” read a caption under a TikTok post from 21-year-old Phoebe Gates, posted on October 5.
In the clip, which has received 11.7 million views and uses “As It Was” by Harry Styles as a backing track, Phoebe sits opposite her billionaire father, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, as they both poke straws into cups of bubble tea and smile at one another overlooking a Manhattan skyline.
Bill Gates has made appearances on other creators’ TikTok accounts in the past, often participating in math or art challenges, although he does not have an account himself.
Phoebe, however, has been posting on TikTok since at least last year and has now accumulated over 157,000 followers on the app. She gained over 59,000 of these followers the day after she posted the bubble tea video with her father, according to analytics website Social Blade.
Father-daughter bubble tea time.
Though her father, one of the richest people in the world, is a household name, little is known about 21-year-old Phoebe, the youngest of the billionaire’s three children, outside of what she posts on social media.
Here’s what we can learn about her life and interests based on what she has shared on TikTok.
Phoebe is a student at Stanford University, and she has previously vlogged about her college life.
@phoebegates Here’s another Day in the Life at Stanford! Lots of class, studying and cooking in this one! #stanford #college #dayinthelife ♬ original sound – ?A? – a
In an interview with the sustainable fashion brand Reformation, which Phoebe promoted on her Instagram page in March, the billionaire’s daughter said she was majoring in human biology at Stanford University.
Phoebe has previously showcased her dorm room and filmed vlog-style updates about her life at college.
In one clip posted in December 2022, she filmed herself riding a bike to a stats class, later showing herself making a very student-esque pasta dish for dinner.
She is passionate about sustainable fashion and is pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities in the industry.
@phoebegates Copenhagen Fashion Week Day 1 in 20 seconds ✨ #cphfw #copenhagenfashionweek ♬ L$d – Luclover
On TikTok, Phoebe has previously posted about attending fashion week in Copenhagen and New York.
She has also shared informational clips about sustainable fashion and promoted buying secondhand clothes.
According to Vogue, Gates is co-launching her own fashion platform, called Phia, with her fellow Stanford student and roommate Sophia Kianna. The outlet reported that it has already landed a partnership with fashion house Stella McCartney for a bag collection that will celebrate women in tennis.
Phoebe has become an outspoken social activist.
@phoebegates Last week’s UNGA whirlwind, filled with so much learning, reflection, and community. ?✨ It was amazing to hear from global leaders and passionate advocates at #Goalkeepers2030 and #GlobalCitizenFestival ♬ Back On 74 – Jungle
One of the topics Pheobe addresses frequently on her TikTok page is reproductive health and advocating for abortion rights.
She has previously posted clips of herself speaking about access to contraception at events, including Goalkeepers, hosted by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the nonprofit organization co-founded by her parents.
She has also spoken out on TikTok against the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
In the Summer of 2022, she also posted clips that she said were from a trip to Rwanda with the healthcare nonprofit Partners in Health, saying she learned about the country’s healthcare system.
Phoebe appears to be following in her mom’s footsteps, calling her an “inspiration.”
@phoebegates Lack of access to contraceptives is a huge global issue. Nearly half of women in 57 developing countries are denied the right to make their own choices about their health and future. #womensrights #womenshealth ♬ Chill Vibes – Tollan Kim
The 21-year-old activist appears to be taking after her parents, especially her mother, who has advocated for access to birth control around the world for many years.
While Phoebe’s billionaire father appears in only a few of her TikToks, her mom Melinda, who also became a billionaire after she and Bill divorced in 2021, has been featured much more prominently on her account.
Phoebe has posted several snippets on TikTok that show her discussing access to contraception with Melinda.
“So you’re a huge advocate for contraceptives. I mean, you’ve always hammered this into me since I was a child, about deciding for my body and having body autonomy,” Phoebe said in a clip posted in January, where Melinda talked about the importance of access to family planning.
In an on-screen caption on a TikTok post from September 2022, Gates referred to her mother as her “inspiration.”
https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/meet-phoebe-gates-entrepreneur-bill-and-melindas-daughter/463632