Bill Gates' daughter Phoebe reveals father has Asperger's syndrome: 'My dad's pretty socially awkward'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Phoebe Gates opened up about her father Bill Gates’ behavior during a recent podcast appearance, where she casually revealed that the Microsoft co-founder has Asperger's syndrome.

She also shared some personal anecdotes about introducing her boyfriends to her father and how growing up in a tech-heavy household shaped her interests.

Bill Gates' daughter Phoebe reveals he has Asperger's syndrome during podcast appearance

During an appearance on the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast, Phoebe Gates, 22, spoke candidly about how her father, Bill Gates, interacts with people in social settings.

“For the guy, terrifying. For me, it’s hilarious because my dad’s pretty socially awkward,” she told host Alex Cooper.

“Like he’s said before, he has Asperger’s. So like to me, it’s so funny.”

Though Bill Gates has not previously made a formal public statement about having Asperger's syndrome, in his February-released book 'Source Code', he talked about autism. “If I were growing up today, I probably would be diagnosed on the autism spectrum,” Gates wrote.

“During my childhood, the fact that some people’s brains process information differently from others wasn’t widely understood,” he continued.

“My parents had no guideposts or textbooks to help them grasp why their son became so obsessed with certain projects, missed social cues, and could be rude and inappropriate without seeming to notice his effect on others," he said as per New York Post.

Bill Gates recalls first encounter with autism questions in his 40s

In an interview with Axios in February, Bill Gates recalled being confronted with the possibility of being on the autism spectrum for the first time in his 40s.

“I remember the first time somebody said to me, ‘Are you on the spectrum?’ It was like 25 years ago, I remember thinking, ‘What the hell? What the hell? I run a goddamn company,’” Gates said.

“And then I realized, well, actually, it’s probably true. I mean, the spectrum thing is confusing,” he added.

Asperger's syndrome is now categorized under autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a broader diagnosis that includes conditions related to social interaction and repetitive behavior.

Gates mentioned that formal ASD testing wasn’t introduced until the 1980s and that the term “neurodivergent” didn’t appear until the 1990s.

Phoebe Gates jokes about music fail with boyfriend Arthur Donald

Phoebe Gates also shared a moment involving her boyfriend, Arthur Donald, the 26-year-old grandson of Paul McCartney.

She recalled one of their first dates when Donald tried to impress her with a concert outing.

“And Elton John comes out in like a bedazzled tracksuit. I’m like, ‘Is Elton John gay?’ His entire family starts dying laughing,” she said.

“Oh man, it’s so bad. Like, I’m so bad at music. I mean, my family like, we’re so nerdy, so I knew nothing about music. I knew about tech stuff growing up, not music stuff,” Phoebe added.

She said Donald’s family still jokes about the moment, even after they’ve been dating for “almost two years.”