Phoebe Gates, the daughter of Bill Gates, has revealed that she is dating Arthur Donald, the grandson of Paul McCartney. The 21-year-old, whose father founded Microsoft and is worth an astonishing $134 billion, was seen celebrating her Stanford graduation with her new boyfriend, eight months after romance rumors first surfaced.
Arthur is the son of Paul McCartney's eldest daughter, Mary McCartney. In a photo diary for Nylon, Phoebe chronicled her Stanford University graduation, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in human biology in only three years. While posting photos from the ceremony, Phoebe included a candid shot of herself with Arthur, whom she referred to as her "boyfriend."
Phoebe Is In a Relationship
"My boyfriend, Arthur, giving me a lift post-ceremony," the fashion entrepreneur wrote alongside a loved-up snap of her 25-year-old beau giving her a piggyback. In another photo taken later that day, Phoebe stood with her arms around Arthur. The caption read, "He cleans up nicely."
Phoebe and Arthur first gained attention in October 2023 when she shared a photo of them in Paris on Instagram.
The pair also attended the premiere of "Feud: Capote vs. Swans" shortly after, but Phoebe declined to discuss her relationship status in an interview with Bustle.
Arthur, who graduated from Yale University in 2021 with a degree in history, is the eldest son of photographer Mary McCartney and her first husband, TV producer Alistair Donald. He was previously rumored to be dating Ava, the daughter of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, in 2018.
The families of the new couple are already closely connected, as Arthur's aunt, fashion designer Stella McCartney, is a good friend of Phoebe's mother, Melissa Gates.
"Even when I was little, she would send me stuff and little notes and I'd be so excited," Phoebe said of Stella. "We are really deeply connected."
New Beginnings
Before her relationship with The Beatles legend's grandson, Phoebe dated Robert Ross, a fellow Stanford student. She posted pictures on Instagram of herself with her then-boyfriend, but trolls quickly left racist comments about her interracial relationship with Robert, who is Black.
She addressed the criticism in an interview with The Information, stating that she was 'done' with people mocking her relationship.
Despite the innocent nature of the photos of Phoebe and her then-boyfriend, Twitter users were quick to react to the idea of Phoebe dating a Black man, with many making crude jokes implying that her rumored boyfriend was only interested in her for her father's money.
Phoebe has previously spoken about the ups and downs of receiving so much online attention.
When asked about the worst part of being a social media sensation, Phoebe admitted: "The misconceptions and conspiracy theories about my family and my relationship with my boyfriend.
"It's 2023. I'm done being memed for being in an interracial relationship."
Phoebe's graduation comes after she already made some major impact in the fashion world, having received invitations to exclusive New York and Paris Fashion Week shows, elite parties, and star-studded events.
She has also made several celebrity friends, become a viral social media sensation, and even secured an internship at British Vogue.
While some might claim her success is due to her wealthy background, both Bill and Melinda Gates have consistently insisted that they are dedicated to ensuring their children "forge their own paths."
