Source: Global Times
[Global Times Technology Comprehensive Report] On April 27th, in an interview with The New York Times, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates admitted that he was "secretly relieved" that his daughter Phoebe Gates did not seek startup funding from him. This global richest man's daughter has officially launched the e-commerce price comparison platform Phia.
"I thought, 'Oh no, she will definitely come to me,' but it didn't happen, which made me relieved," Gates confessed during the interview.
If his daughter had asked, he would have provided financial support, but he admitted that he couldn't help but frequently inquire about the business and might be too lenient due to "fatherly love", which may not be good for a startup company.
Business Insider reported that Phia, co-founded by Phoebe and her Stanford roommate Sophia Kiani, has raised more than $500,000 in venture capital and angel investment. The platform compares prices from 40,000 shopping websites to provide users with optimal discount recommendations, targeting young female consumers. Phoebe revealed on the podcast "The Burnouts" that her father had repeatedly reminded her that "starting a business is no joke" and clearly opposed her dropping out of school like he did - Phoebe graduated early from Stanford in 2024 with a bachelor's degree in human biology, while Gates himself became legendary by dropping out of college to found Microsoft.
Foreign media pointed out that Phoebe admitted to feeling immense pressure: "If the business succeeds, people will say 'it's just because of your father'; if it fails, they will say 'you can't even keep the family fortune'." She emphasized that the business model of Phia originated from personal pain - arguing with roommates over "competing for discounted goods".
Notably, Phoebe once openly stated that she felt "out of place" during university due to being "Gates' daughter" and even deliberately hid her family background. Now, she chooses to prove her self-worth through "hardcore entrepreneurship" rather than relying on family resources.
Silicon Valley venture capitalist Emily Chen pointed out that Phoebe's entrepreneurial path reflects the complex attitude of a new generation of "tech second-generation" towards "family privilege": "They both want to get rid of the label of 'relying on their parents', yet find it hard to completely detach from the family resource network. Phia's choice to enter the vertical niche market of e-commerce price comparison, rather than directly entering the tech field familiar to Gates, may exactly be to prove independence." (Wang Wang)
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7497860558046233098/
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