Phoebe Gates, 23, is the youngest daughter of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Melinda Gates.
She has recently come under attention after her fashion-tech startup, Phia, was accused of a “cookie stuffing” scheme.
Jennifer Gates owns a 124-acre horse farm in North Salem, Westchester County. The property is reportedly worth about $16 million and was given to Jennifer by Bill and Melinda Gates after she graduated from Stanford University, according to the New York Post. She reportedly lives in a two-bedroom, loft-style apartment in New York City with pink walls and 20-foot-high ceilings.
Phoebe is also a recent Stanford University graduate.
Phia Enhances Online Shopping with Discount Code Tracking
Phia operates through a browser extension that assists shoppers in finding discount codes during online purchases. When users shop with participating retail partners, they can activate the Phia extension, which searches for available coupon codes at checkout.
Upon using a Phia coupon, the extension places a tracking cookie in the shopper’s browser. This cookie notifies the retailer that Phia contributed to the sale, enabling the company to earn a commission from the retailer as part of its affiliate marketing strategy. This tracking method is a common practice in the industry.
Her father, Bill Gates, is the co-founder of Microsoft and has a fortune estimated at about $108 billion by Forbes. Because phia was accused of placing these tracking cookies even when shoppers had not used Phia to find a coupon, the controversy began. Because of Phoebe’s family background, the scrutiny is especially significant.
Bloomberg reported that the company was allegedly taking credit for sales that it had not actually helped generate. The New York Post reported that the course was invitation-only. This practice is known as “cookie stuffing. In simple terms, it means placing tracking cookies on a user’s browser so a company can claim credit for a sale that it did not genuinely drive. Phoebe has also been linked to entrepreneurship since her time at Stanford. She reportedly took courses that helped her develop ideas that later contributed to the creation of Phia. One of those courses was focused on artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship. The classes reportedly helped her explore ideas around technology and business. Phoebe also reportedly took part in a secretive Stanford course called “So You Think You Can Rule the World?
