Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates’ 3 Children: All About Jennifer, Rory and Phoebe

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates welcomed three kids during their 27-year marriage

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates are loving parents and grandparents.

The pair, who divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage, are parents to daughter Jennifer, 28, son Rory, 25, and daughter Phoebe, 22. A source told PEOPLE that the former couple held off on separating until their children had all graduated high school. And though Bill and Melinda are no longer together, they have reunited at important events to support their kids, like Jennifer’s wedding in 2021.

While Bill is one of the richest people on the planet, ranked seventh in the world by Forbes in 2024, he’s spoken candidly about how he won’t be passing on all of his wealth to his children. He has said that leaving his fortune to them would be a “mistake” and that he plans to give most of it to charity — including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Bill and Melinda became grandparents for the first time in February 2023 when Jennifer and her husband, Nayel Nassar, welcomed their first child, Leila. The couple’s second child, Mia, arrived in October 2024.

In a video interview, Bill shared that he plans to “create an adventure” for his grandchildren.

“The relationship of a grandparent to a child is a nice one because it’s kind of in addition to what they have with their parents,” he said. “It’s kind of a supporting role, and in that way, it’s kind of simple. It can be a lot of fun stuff.”

Keep reading for everything to know about the Gates children.

Jennifer Gates, 28

Jennifer Katharine Gates, Bill and Melinda’s oldest child, was born on April 26, 1996.

She has a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University and a degree in human biology from Stanford University. In May 2024, she graduated from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai before starting her pediatric residency at Mt. Sinai.

“What you have achieved today — and every day leading up to it — is a tremendous accomplishment, @jenngatesnassar,” Bill wrote on Instagram following his daughter’s graduation. “I’m so proud of you for finishing medical school, and I can’t wait to watch you take this next step into residency. Your patients will be lucky to call you doctor.”  

In addition to being a doctor-in-training, Jennifer is a professional show jumper who has been competing for years.

She married fellow equestrian Nayel Nassar in a custom Vera Wang dress on Oct. 16, 2021. Nassar proposed during a ski trip in January 2020 and Jennifer shared the news on Instagram, calling her then-fiancé “one of a kind.”

Her parents reunited at the wedding, which took place only a few months after their divorce. Both were pictured walking alongside their daughter and made separate social media posts to celebrate the milestone.

In March 2023, Jennifer and Nassar welcomed their first child — a daughter named Leila. She was “promoted to big sister” when Jennifer gave birth to daughter Mia in October 2024.

Rory Gates, 25

Bill and Melinda’s son, Rory John Gates, was born on May 23, 1999. He was named in honor of Melinda’s late friend, John Neilson, who died of cancer shortly after her son’s birth.

Rory graduated from the University of Chicago in June 2022, achieving a double major and a master’s in four years. He’s currently working toward his PhD at the Institute of World Politics and is an analyst for the Afghanistan War Commission, per LinkedIn.

In 2017, Melinda wrote an essay for TIME in which she described Rory as “compassionate and curious,” as well as “intelligent and well-read.”

She also stated that one of the traits she is most proud of is that he is a feminist. “Across 18 years of conversations, sharp observations and everyday actions, he’s demonstrated his belief that gender equality is something worth standing up for,” she wrote. “When we talk about these issues at the dinner table, he (and his friends!) have a lot to say.”

In May 2024, Rory, who lives a relatively private life, accompanied his mother to a White House State Dinner.

Phoebe Gates, 22

Bill and Melinda welcomed their youngest child, Phoebe Adele Gates, on Sept. 14, 2002.

Phoebe graduated from high school in 2021, and on her graduation day, Jennifer dedicated a post to her sister on Instagram, writing alongside a series of photos from over the years, “Pheebs- I can’t believe this day is here (time flies! 😅) but you are wise beyond your years, and so ready for this next incredible chapter in your journey. I love you, I am immensely proud of you and can’t wait for all that’s to come at Stanford ( !!! 🌲 🙌) and beyond.”

The youngest Gates is very outspoken when it comes to social and political issues. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, she wrote an article for Vogue about the global implications of the decision and shared information about Planned Parenthood on her Instagram.

Phoebe is also very passionate about fashion. In September 2022, she completed an internship at British Vogue and expressed her gratitude for the experience on Instagram. “Thank you @britishvogue for giving me the internship of a lifetime. It was an honor to work with some of the best in the business and learn from you all,” she wrote alongside a series of photos from her time at the publication.

And it appears she may get some of her fashion inspiration from her mom. The following month, Phoebe channeled Melinda in a pink blazer and posted a photo of her mother wearing a very similar look. “Should I dress up as @melindafrenchgates for Halloween? y/n?” she captioned the Instagram post.

As for what she has in common with her father, Phoebe is an avid reader. In a 2018 Instagram post, Bill wrote that the two of them love “reading all kinds of books,” noting that John Green was one of their favorite authors at the time. He quoted Phoebe as saying, “For years I have been a loyal John Green fan — devouring his novels in the back of coffee shops, while traveling, and curled up on my couch. Something about the imagery of his books makes me get caught up in the fantasy of his stories, but Turtles All the Way Down hit closer to home for me than the rest.”

In addition to a love of reading, Phoebe also enjoys posting on TikTok. She spoke about her use of social media and the “misconceptions and conspiracy theories” that are posted about her family online in a March 2023 interview with The Information.

“People have a lot of preconceptions about me, so TikTok has been a chance for me to tell my own story and also use the attention my family name might bring to spotlight issues that are important to me, like women’s health and sustainable fashion,” she explained.

Phoebe graduated from Stanford University in June 2024, and it took her just three years to complete her degree. Her mom, Melinda, served as the commencement speaker at the ceremony.

In September 2024, Bill’s docuseries What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates premiered on Netflix. He told PEOPLE that Phoebe had a lot to say on the show, especially about conspiracy theories involving her dad. “It’s fun to see her energy,” he said.

Phoebe and her college roommate, Sophia Kianni, launched The Burnouts podcast under Alex Cooper’s Unwell Network in April 2025. The duo are also the co-founders of Phia — a sustainable fashion platform, which is set to go live later this year, per Medium.

As for her personal life, Phoebe is currently dating Arthur Donald, Paul McCartney‘s grandson, per Nylon.