Bill And Melinda Gates' Three Kids Live Wildly Lavish Lives
Bill Gates gained the bulk of his multi-billion-dollar fortune through his pioneering efforts in tech — most notably as the co-founder of Microsoft — but his $108 billion fortune is also the result of several smart investments. And though Bill has procured a reputation for being one of the most charitable public figures of all time, he's still kept enough dough for his family to continue drowning in lavishness. Especially the Gates children, Phoebe Gates, Rory Gates, and Jennifer Gates, who have lived unfathomably charmed lives that have included every luxury imaginable.
For example, the siblings' childhood home is worth a whopping $131 million today. Even cooler? The house is nicknamed Xanadu 2.0 — a reference to the similarities between it and the extravagant estate in the film "Citizen Kane." Proving that Bill really is the king of spotting a good investment, he initially spent around $65 million on the land and materials to build the house. Among the home's most impressive features are an in-home movie theater, an indoor beach (using sand imported from the Caribbean!), and 24 bathrooms.
With that said, all of the billionaire's kids are adults now, but their upscale lives have only gotten even more luxurious.
The Gates children indulge in only the best
The Gates children have attended four prestigious — and expensive — universities: Columbia and Stanford University for Jennifer Gates, The University of Chicago for Rory Gates, and lastly, Stanford University for Phoebe Gates. Adding to that, the eldest Gates daughter was also admitted into the Icahn School of Medicine in 2019, where she is currently studying.
Expensive schooling isn't the only indicator of their father's unlimited resources. Jennifer Gates made headlines in early 2023 when she purchased a $51 million NYC penthouse that used to belong to Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. And though that price tag certainly guarantees luxury living, it's not her first time owning highly-coveted property. Bill and Melinda Gates bought her a luxe 124-acre horse farm after she graduated from Stanford University — thanks to her Equestrian background.
On the other hand, Phoebe Gates also has a super expensive hobby — fashion. But it doesn't just amount to her charging ungodly figures to her credit card. Phoebe actually interned with British Vogue in 2022. That same year, Phoebe was front and center — sitting in the front row — at Paris Fashion Week, which could be partially attributed to her mom's friendship with designer Stella McCartney. Even Phoebe's dog is the proud owner of a selection of designer chew toys — including a "Chewy Vuitton," as she's flaunted on her Instagram. Meanwhile, Rory Gates' life isn't nearly as public as his sisters, but he's definitely enjoying his father's wealth. Case in point: Rory's parents bought him a $1.25 million home while he attended the University of Chicago.
The gravy train may not last forever
Unfortunately, Gates kids may not be able to dip from the overflowing money well forever. Well, unless they're able to find jobs that bring in as much as their famous father. According to Bill, he doesn't plan on leaving his kids much of an inheritance. At least not compared to his billion-dollar fortune. "It's not a favour to kids to have them have huge sums of wealth It distorts anything they might do, creating their own path," shared Gates during an appearance on "This Morning" (via The Times)."Our kids will receive a great education and some money so they are never going to be poorly off but they'll go out and have their own career."
According to Page Six, Melinda Gates could have different plans for her fortune after she passes, however. The outlet spoke with divorce attorneys Harriet Newman Cohen and Martha Cohen Stine who believe that Melinda may want to leave their kids more than Bill. "Bill Gates proudly announced to the world he was leaving $10 million to each of his three children, and that the rest of the billions will be left to charity ... now that Melinda has control — maybe she wanted to leave more to her children than $10 million each." said the experts. " Maybe she didn't agree." Their reasoning stems from Melinda's decision to allow estate lawyers to represent her during her May 2022 divorce from Bill, an unprecedented move.