Phoebe Gates spoke about the Covid-19 conspiracies around her dad on the new Netflix docuseries ‘What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates’.
Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, was under scrutiny over “funding and planning” the Covid-19 outbreak that claimed the lives of millions worldwide. Now, Phoebe Gates, the billionaire’s daughter, has opened up on how her friends ended ties with her during the controversy in 2020.
In Netflix’s latest docuseries, What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates, Gates asked his daughter if she came across any conspiracy theories related to him. “All the time. I’ve even had friends cut me off because of these vaccine rumours,” Phoebe said in the docuseries. When Gates asked Phoebe what might have ignited such conspiracy theories, she said, “a place of fear.”
Phoebe also pointed out her father’s lack of understanding of social media.
The 68-year-old philanthropist then revealed that he had the best conversations with Phoebe for the docuseries. “Phoebe and I talked about growing up with social media, how to become sophisticated about its use, how not to feed the trolls, how to seek out different viewpoints, and the important lesson (for me, at least) that no one uses Facebook or email anymore,” he said, as reported by People.
On September 14, Gates extended a heartwarming birthday wish for Phoebe. “This little girl has grown up to be a dedicated advocate, a brilliant founder, and a simply wonderful person whose presence makes everyone’s day—and life—better. Happy birthday, @phoebegates. I’m more proud of you than you’ll ever know,” he wrote on Instagram.
Phoebe is the youngest daughter of Bill Gates and his former wife Melinda French Gates.