The daughter of 69-year-old American billionaire and former major Microsoft shareholder Bill Gates, Phoebe, revealed that her father has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome — one of the disorders on the autism spectrum (ASD).
“My dad’s pretty socially awkward. As he said before, he has Asperger’s syndrome,” the Independent quotes her as saying.
It’s worth noting that difficulties in social interaction are one of the symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome. People with this diagnosis often struggle to recognize others’ emotions, interpret facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures, and adjust their reactions to social situations, which can be rude. Additionally, they are often deeply immersed in a specific interest.
It is worth noting, however, that Gates himself has not publicly confirmed having Asperger’s syndrome, although in his memoirs he acknowledged that he might have been diagnosed with ASD.
He also recalled when someone asked him about a possible diagnosis: “It was about 25 years ago. I remember thinking, ‘What the hell? I run a damn company.’ And then I realized that it was probably true.”
