Phoebe Gates Under Fire: Stanford Classmates Question Her Coding Skills Amid Startup Scandal

Phoebe Gates, the youngest daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates, is at the center of a growing controversy surrounding her shopping startup Phia. According to Stanford classmates, the 24-year-old never took a single computer science class during her time at university, graduating with a degree in human biology and finishing a year early. Despite that, she co-founded a tech company that has been accused of“cookie stuffing,”a deceptive practice that collects commission on purchases the company didn’t actually drive.

The alleged scheme worked by dropping tracking cookies onto users’browsers without their knowledge. When the feature was disabled, Phia’s daily revenue crashed from approximately $80,000 to somewhere between $10,000 and $28,000. That number tells you just how heavily the company relied on these questionable tactics. Now, Phoebe and her co-founder Sophia Kianni could potentially face civil lawsuits and significant financial penalties if the claims are proven.

This story raises big questions about privilege, competence, and accountability in the startup world. Was Phoebe given a pass because of her last name? Should she have been more honest about her lack of technical background? And what does this mean for the trust consumers place in influencer-backed apps? Let us know what you think in the comments below.