Bill Gates' Kids Live An Extremely Lavish Life

Bill Gates is one of the wealthiest people on the planet (at times he's been the wealthiest). The Microsoft co-founder has billions, and his fortune has allowed him to live an incredibly posh lifestyle. Gates has owned multiple multimillion-dollar properties, aircraft, and the most private farmland of anyone in the United States. He's also been able to rub shoulders with some of the most prominent people in the world — others who have billions, world leaders, elite athletes, A-list celebrities, and more. There aren't many people in the world who can live like Gates. 

For 34 years, he has shared his life with Melinda French Gates, his ex-wife whom he met in New York City in 1987 and married in Hawaii in 1994. Bill and Melinda had three children together: Jennifer Gates, Rory Gates, and Phoebe Gates, and once their first child was born, Melinda quit her job to be a stay-at-home mom. Thanks to the company Bill co-founded, Melinda was not a stay-at-home mom who needed to be frugal or find a side hustle to supplement their income — the family had plenty of money. That money also ensured that Bill's children never wanted anything. They've always had access to the best of the best, and that's continued into their adult lives. This is the extremely lavish life that Bill Gates' kids live. 

There are a few telltale signs that someone grew up in a wealthy family. One such sign is the sports in which they participate, like equestrianism. Being an equestrian is so costly because it involves caring for a horse, and horses are not cheap animals. In addition to purchasing the horse, which can cost anywhere from a couple hundred to millions of dollars, equestrians have to pay for upkeep, which includes feeding, maintenance, and boarding. They also have to pay for lessons and horse insurance, which costs an additional thousands of dollars per month. Bill Gates' daughter, Jennifer Gates, has been participating in this sport for many years, and we can only imagine how much Bill has spent over the years for Jennifer to ride horses.

The money Bill has spent on Jennifer's equestrian hobby might not be in vain, though, because it's much more than a hobby for her. Jennifer is an accomplished equestrian who's competed in some of the most prestigious riding competitions in the world and was once ranked nationally as a professional showjumper. Of the Gates children, Jennifer is the only equestrian — she shared in an interview that her siblings have other interests — but there are other children of famous and wealthy people who participate in the sport, like Michael Bloomberg's daughter Georgina Bloomberg and Bruce Springsteen's daughter Jessica Springsteen.

Real estate is not cheap, especially in New York City, but when your father is one of the richest men in the world, purchasing a home becomes a lot more accessible. Jennifer Gates reportedly lives in a New York City penthouse worth over $50 million. (For reference, as of 2023, the average cost to rent an apartment comparable to Gates' penthouse in number of bedrooms is around $7,000 per month.) The swanky pad has six bedrooms and eight bathrooms, a pool, and outdoor space that trumps the average size of a house. Among her neighbors are Meg Ryan as well as Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. "It's almost like an oasis up there as well. There are a lot of different choices, so I can see why people find it alluring to buy a unit in the building," Theresa Genovese, principal of the architecture firm that designed the building, told CNBC in 2023. We can't imagine it would take much convincing to live there.

The Manhattan penthouse isn't the only property Gates owns. She also has a horse farm worth nearly $16 million that was given to her by her parents. The farm is located in Westchester, New York, and boasts over 120 acres of land.

Given the fact that their father is one of the most well-known men in the world, the Gates children can't exactly live anonymously. One of them, however, does a very good job of keeping his life private — the middle child, Rory Gates. We do know that Gate grew up with his family in Xanadu 2.0, the family's mega-mansion in Washington. We also know that he has earned an education from some of the most prestigious — and expensive — institutions in the world. 

The billionaire's son attended Lakeside School in Seattle, Washington, a private middle and high school with a tuition cost of around $40,000 per year (and we're willing to bet the Gates weren't eligible for any financial aid). He also went to college at the University of Chicago, which costs around $85,000 per year. According to his sister's post, Rory majored in two subjects and got his master's as well.

Aside from his educational achievements, his mother, Melinda French Gates, shared that Rory is a feminist in an essay for Time. Melinda said she worked hard to raise a son who values gender equality. "He's intelligent and well-read and deeply informed about the wide range of issues that interest him. He's a great son and a great brother. He's inherited his parents' obsessive love of puzzles," she said.

Phoebe Gates also has a passion for fashion. While on break for the summer, Gates spent her time interning for British Vogue (an internship we presume was easier for Gates to get because of her connections, but we can't say for sure). "It was an honor to work with some of the best in the business and learn from you all," Gates said, as reported by People. "We put in some long hours, but I cherish every moment of it!" she added. 

To Gates' credit, she has parlayed her connection with Condé Nast into legitimate work. In the fall of 2022, Gates published an op-ed for Teen Vogue explaining her perspective on Femtech and the role it can play in female healthcare moving forward, and she wrote an opinion piece for Vogue that same year about the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the global implications of the decision.

But since she is the daughter of a billionaire, Gates probably doesn't need to worry about applying for more jobs with Vogue after graduation. Gates seems to have already set up business opportunities post-grad, making the transition from college to adulthood easier than for those whose parents are, well, not billionaires.

Being the daughter of a billionaire has gotten Phoebe Gates into some of the most exclusive events in the world. In the summer of 2023, Gates attended the 20th-anniversary celebration of the Shawn Carter Foundation, and she spent a good chunk of her September attending fashion shows for New York Fashion Week. Gates posted photos of her time in the city with her mother, and she shared footage of her viewpoint from the Gabriela Hearst show. Earlier that year, Gates spoke at the Global Citizen NOW conference, joining businessmen and women, world leaders, and celebrities like Katie Holmes and John Legend.

2023 wasn't the first year Gates had attended high-profile events. In 2022, Gates accompanied her father to the Time 100 Gala in New York City. "So honored to attend #Time100 with my dad. I felt so inspired by all these change-makers," Gates said on Instagram. Unsurprisingly, Gates interacted with other super-famous people at the event, like Marvel actor Simu Liu. "​​Glad Simu Liu finally got my dad to try bubble tea," Gates noted. Gates was able to attend the event because her father was one of the speakers at the Time 100 Summit, sharing his perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic and what he sees for the future of public health.