Topline
Phoebe Gates, the 22-year-old daughter of billionaires Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, launched a new podcast aimed at Gen Z female entrepreneurs under The Unwell Network, the media company owned by “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper.
Phoebe Gates attends is the youngest of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates’ three children. (Photo … More
Key Facts
Gates, the youngest of her billionaire parents’ three children, hosts “The Burnouts” with her former Stanford University roommate, Sophia Kianni, who was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
Gates and Kianni’s podcast will feature guests each week to discuss business advice for Gen Z women, including how to build a startup, pitch investors and navigate workplace dynamics, according to The Unwell Network.
The first episode of “The Burnouts” was released on April 1, with the two discussing Phia, the company the two co-founded that is set to launch as a Google Chrome extension in 2025, which they said will help online shoppers re-sell and find the best value for products.
Gates said in a statement the podcast is titled “The Burnouts” because young people are trying to “find fulfillment” in an “ever faster-paced world,” stating there is a “real burnout factor.”
“The Burnouts” is available on all podcasting platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and episodes are available in video form on YouTube.
Who Is Phoebe Gates?
Gates, 22, is the youngest of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates’ three children. Gates attended Stanford University, graduating in 2024 with a bachelor of science in human biology, according to her LinkedIn profile. She describes herself as a reproductive rights advocate on her LinkedIn, which she has advocated for in op-eds, posts on social media and through docuseries she has produced. Gates was recognized by the Reproductive Freedom for All nonprofit as its Rising Reproductive Freedom Champion last year, as the organization praised her for using her platform to advocate for reproductive rights. Gates told the Wall Street Journal last year she planned to give millions to abortion rights groups, citing her disappointment over the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Gates is also active on social media, with 500,000 Instagram followers and 250,000 followers on TikTok, where she often posts pro-abortion rights content.
Key Background
“The Burnouts” is the latest venture by Cooper’s Unwell Network, which she founded in 2023 on the heels of the success of “Call Her Daddy.” Cooper, a Forbes 30 Under 30 alum who placed eighth on Forbes’ Top Creators list in 2024, with estimated earnings of $22 million, signed a $125 million deal with SiriusXM last year, giving the platform exclusive advertising and distribution rights to “Call Her Daddy” and other shows produced by The Unwell Network. Other shows under The Unwell Network include “Hot Mess with Alix Earle” and “Pretty Lonesome with Madeline Argy.” Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” ranked as Spotify’s second most-popular podcast behind “The Joe Rogan Experience” last year, to which she attracts high-profile guests, including a highly publicized interview last year with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Forbes Valuation
Gates’ father, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, is worth an estimated $107 billion, making him the 11th richest person in the world, according to Forbes estimates. Melinda French Gates is worth an estimated $30 billion, (No. 57 on the list), according to Forbes estimates. Gates’ parents divorced in 2021 and also co-chaired the Gates Foundation together until 2024, when Melinda stepped down.
Tangent
Bill Gates said on the “Figuring Out With Raj Shamani” podcast earlier this week his three children will inherit less than 1% of his wealth. “It’s not a dynasty, I’m not asking them to run Microsoft. I want to give them a chance to have their own earnings and success,” Gates said.
Further Reading
Inside Alex Cooper’s $125 Million Deal To Grow Her Multimedia Empire (Forbes)
Forbes Top Creators 2024 (Forbes)
Bill Gates says his children will inherit ‘less than 1%’ of his wealth (Fortune)
