Bill Gates’ daughter and Paul McCartney’s grandson announcing they’re dating may have surprised many fans – with The cut‘s blogger Emily Leibert admits that “this isn’t a nepo baby couple she saw coming.”
However, the romance between Phoebe Gates, 21, and Arthur Alistair Donald, 25, appears to be written in the stars – with the friendship between their two families dating back decades and the new couple’s lives intertwined since they were young children .
Phoebe’s father Bill has been friends with Sir Paul since the early 1990s and reportedly supported the Beatles star during his messy divorce from ex-wife Heather Mills.
Meanwhile, Paul’s daughter Stella, 52, has become close to Bill’s ex-wife Melinda and has mentored Phoebe in her fashion career.
Bill Gates’ daughter Phoebe has officially confirmed that she is dating Paul McCartney’s grandson Arthur Donald
Phoebe, 21, and Arthur, 25, first made headlines in October 2023 when she took to Instagram with a snapshot of the pair in Paris.
The duo also attended the premiere of Feud: Capote vs Swans a short time later, but Phoebe subsequently declined to comment on her relationship status when interviewed by Rush.
But she has now officially confirmed the romance – openly referring to Arthur as her “boyfriend” as she documents her graduation from Stanford in an online blog for Nylon.
Arthur, who graduated from Yale University in 2021 with a major in history, is the eldest son of photographer Mary McCartney and her first husband, TV producer Alistair Donald.
It is believed that Arthur’s grandfather, Sir Paul, struck up a friendship with Phoebe’s father as early as the early 2000s.
The duo are pictured chatting at a book launch in 2005, and that same year Bill was reportedly part of Paul’s “entourage” amid his messy divorce from Heather Mills.
As reported by the Guardianthe musician released a selection of quotes from a world tour DVD, in which Bill compared his friend to Bach while singing his praises.
Bill also appears to be a fan and advocate of Paul’s music. When asked what song he would use to describe his relationship with the late Steve Jobs – the founder of Apple, Microsoft’s main competitor – on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs show, Bill used a Beatles song called Two Of Us, from their Let It Be album.
His blog – GatesComments – Last year, the Beatles’ song Hey Jude was also on the summer playlist.
And it seems the connection has been passed down from generation to generation, as Paul’s daughter Stella, 52, became close to Bill’s ex-wife Melinda.
The duo were pictured chatting at a book launch in 2005, and that same year Bill was reportedly part of Paul’s ‘entourage’ amid his messy divorce from Heather Mills.
Arthur, who graduated from Yale University in 2021 with a major in history, is the eldest son of photographer Mary McCartney. Pictured in May last year with his aunt Stella, left, and his current girlfriend Phoebe, right
The romance between Phoebe Gates and Arthur Alistair Donald seems to be written in the stars, as the relationship between the families goes back decades. Arthur left in 2018 with his mother and grandfather, and Phoebe on the right with her father Bill in 2022
Stella and Phoebe have since become close, bonding with their very famous fathers and wanting to be in the same industry. Both pictured in February last year
Designer Stella has acted as a mentor to Phoebe and even invited her on her first Paris Fashion Week trip. Both pictured in May
Both Phoebe and Arthur have very famous mothers. Arthur pictured left, with Mary McCartney in 2022, and Phoebe pictured right, with Melinda Gates last year
“Her and my mom are actually good friends,” Phoebe – who is the co-founder of emerging digital fashion company Phia – told a WWD interview in 2022. ‘Even when I was little, she would send me things and notes and I was so excited. I always asked my mother if I could meet her.’
Stella and Phoebe have since become close, bonding with their very famous fathers and wanting to be in the same industry.
“I felt very connected to her, I feel like she was able to use the platform that she had, because of who her father is, and then she took that and instead of saying, ‘oh, people define me by this,’ she took it and said, “Okay, I have tremendous privilege, now I’m going to use it to leverage something,” she added.
“And what she has wanted to leverage is to launch a brand that is completely sustainable.”
Designer Stella has acted as a mentor to Phoebe and even invited her on her first Paris Fashion Week trip, the outlet said.
Phoebe also praised Stella’s commitment to sustainability, which she is also passionate about, along with activist and Phia co-founder Sophia Kianni.
DailyMail.com previously reported that sparks were flying between Phoebe and Arthur, but the couple have now made it official. Phoebe and Arthur pictured in 2023
“Stella was able to build this empire while still sticking to her values,” Phoebe said Fashion last year.
“We reached out many times and ultimately she really took us under her wing and has since been an advisor to us as we build out this platform.”
Stella also collaborated with Phia to design a bag collection.
DailyMail.com previously reported that sparks were flying between Phoebe and Arthur, but the couple have now made it official.
“My boyfriend, Arthur, gives me a lift after the ceremony,” Phoebe wrote in a blog post Nylon for her graduation next to an amorous photo of her boyfriend giving her a piggy back.
Another photo from later in the day showed Phoebe, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in human biology, with her arms wrapped around her new love interest next to a caption that read, “He cleans up nicely.”
Arthur He was previously rumored to be dating Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe’s daughter Ava in 2018.
Before Phoebe started dating the Beatles singer’s grandson, she dated fellow Stanford student Robert Ross.
She had shared photos of herself with her then-boyfriend on Instagram and trolls were quick to leave racist comments about her interracial relationship with Robert Ross, who is black.
She responded to the backlash during an interview with The informationand she said she was ‘done’ with people making fun of her relationship.
Despite the innocent nature of the photos of Phoebe and her then-boyfriend, social media was quick to react to the idea that Phoebe might be dating a black man – with many choosing to make crude jokes suggesting her rumored boyfriend was simply using her for her father’s money.
Phoebe and Arthur both pictured at the premiere of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans at the MOMA in January
The beauty has previously opened up about the highs and lows that come with getting so much attention online.
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 remembered for being in an interracial relationship.”
Phoebe’s graduation comes after she has already made waves in the fashion world, receiving invitations to coveted New York and Paris Fashion Week shows, elite parties and star-studded events.
She’s also collected some famous friends along the way, becoming a viral social media star and even landing an internship at British Vogue.
And while some may argue that she got where she is today thanks to her wealthy background, both Bill and Melinda have consistently insisted that they work hard to ensure that their children “pave their own path.”
She discusses her graduation with NylonPhoebe explained that she was motivated to complete her course in three years – instead of four – to coincide with her mother’s speech at the ceremony.
She said, “I knew I had to make it happen if I could because I wanted to see my mom give the speech as a graduate this year.
“I can’t imagine a better ending!”