The announcement that Bill Gates’ daughter and Paul McCartney’s grandson are in a relationship may have surprised many fans, with The cutBlogger Emily Leibert admits that “this is not the nepo-baby pairing she saw coming.”
However, the romance between Phoebe Gates, 21, and Arthur Alistair Donald, 25, seems to have been written in the stars: the friendship between their two families dates back decades and the new couple’s lives have been intertwined since They were little children.
Phoebe’s father Bill has been friends with Sir Paul since the early 2000s 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 been a mentor to 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 posted a snap of the couple in Paris on Instagram.
The duo also attended the premiere of Feud: Capote vs Swans shortly after, but Phoebe declined to comment on the status of their relationship when interviewed by Bustle.
But now she has officially confirmed the romance, openly referring to Arthur as her “boyfriend” while documenting her Stanford graduation 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, television producer Alistair Donald.
Arthur’s grandfather Sir Paul is believed to have formed a friendship with Phoebe’s father since at least the early 2000s.
The duo are shown 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 supporter 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 programme, Bill used a Beatles song titled Two Of Us, from his album Let It Be. album.
Your blog – GatesNotes – Last year, the Beatles’ song Hey Jude also appeared on your summer playlist.
And it seems the connection was passed down generationally, as Paul’s daughter Stella, 52, became close with Bill’s ex-wife Melinda.
The duo are shown 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 current girlfriend Phoebe, right.
The romance between Phoebe Gates and Arthur Alistair Donald seems to have been written in the stars, as the families’ relationship goes back decades. Arthur left, in 2018, with his mother and his grandfather, and Phoebe, right, with his father Bill in 2022.
Since then, Stella and Phoebe have become close, bonding with their famous parents and wanting to be in the same industry. Both photographed in February of last year.
Designer Stella acted as a mentor to Phoebe and even invited her on her first trip to Paris Fashion Week. Both photographed 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.
“She and my mom are actually good friends,” Phoebe, co-founder of upcoming digital fashion label Phia, told a World Water Day interview in 2022. ‘Even when I was little, she would send me things and little notes and I would be very excited. I’ve been asking my mom forever and ever if I could meet her.’
Since then, Stella and Phoebe have become close, bonding with their famous parents and wanting to be in the same industry.
“I felt very connected to her, I feel like because 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 that and He said, “Okay, I have this immense privilege, now I’m going to use it to leverage something,” he added.
“And what she decided to take advantage of was to launch a brand that is completely sustainable.”
Designer Stella acted as Phoebe’s mentor and even invited her on her first trip to Paris Fashion Week, according to the outlet.
Phoebe has also praised Stella’s commitment to sustainability, which she is also passionate about, alongside 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 photographed in 2023
“Stella has been able to build this empire while maintaining her values,” Phoebe said. Fashion last year.
“We communicated many times and eventually she really took us under her wing and has been our advisor as we built this platform ever since.”
Stella also partnered with Phia to design a handbag collection.
DailyMail.com previously reported that sparks were flying between Phoebe and Arthur, but the couple have now made it official.
“My boyfriend, Arthur, takes me after the ceremony,” Phoebe wrote on her blog. Nylon for her graduation along with a loving photo of her boyfriend carrying her on his back.
In another photo taken later that day, Phoebe, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human biology, stood with her arms around her new love interest alongside a caption that read, “He cleans up really well.”
Arthur He was previously rumored to be dating Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe’s daughter Ava in 2018.
Before dating the Beatles singer’s grandson, Phoebe was in a relationship with fellow Stanford student Robert Ross.
She had shared photos of herself flirting 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 Informationand said she was “tired” of people making fun of their 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 that her rumored boyfriend was simply dating a black man. using for his father’s money.
Phoebe and Arthur photographed at the premiere of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans held at MOMA in January.
The beauty has previously opened up about the ups and downs that come with receiving 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. They no longer make memes of me for having 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 racked up 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 he has gotten to where he is thanks to his wealthy background, both Bill and Melinda have continually insisted that they are working hard to ensure their children “create their own path.”
Talking about 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 graduation speech at the ceremony.
She said: “I knew I had to make it if I could, because I wanted to see my mother give this year’s commencement speech as a graduate.
‘I can’t think of a better ending!’