Inside the love story between Bill Gates' daughter Phoebe and Paul McCartney's grandson Arthur - thanks to families' long friendship

Bill Gates' daughter and Paul McCartney's grandson announcing that they're in a relationship may have surprised many fans - with The Cut's blogger Emily Leibert admitting that 'this is not a nepo-baby couple she saw coming'.

However, the romance between Phoebe Gates, 21, and Arthur Alistair Donald, 25, seems to have been written in the stars - with the friendship between their two families going  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 noughties and reportedly supported The Beatles star during his messy divorce from ex-wife Heather Mills. 

Meanwhile, Paul's daughter Stella, 52, became close to Bill's ex wife Melinda and has been mentoring Phoebe in her fashion career. 

Phoebe, 21, and Arthur, 25, first made headlines back 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 then declined to comment on her relationship status when interviewed by Bustle.

But she has now 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 elder son of photographer Mary McCartney and her first husband, TV producer Alistair Donald.

Arthur's grandfather, Sir Paul, is thought to have struck up a friendship with Phoebe's father as far back as at least the early 2000s.

The duo are pictured chatting to one another at a 2005 book launch, and that same year Bill was reportedly part of Paul's 'entourage' amid his messy divorce from Heather Mills.

As reported by the Guardian, the musician released a selection of quotes from a world tour DVD which saw Bill compare his friend to Bach as he sings his praises.

Bill also appears to be a fan and supporter of Paul's music. When asked about 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 track titled Two Of Us, from their Let It Be album. 

His blog - GatesNotes - last year also featured the Beatles' track Hey Jude in its summer playlist. 

And it seems the connection travelled down generationally, as Paul's daughter Stella, 52, became close to Bill's ex wife Melinda. 

'Her and my mom are actually good friends,' Phoebe - who has co-founded upcoming digital fashion firm, Phia - told a WWD interview in 2022. 'Even when I was little she would send me stuff and little notes and I'd be so excited. I've been asking my mom forever and ever if I could meet with her.'

Stella and Phoebe, have since become close, bonding over their very famous fathers, and wanting to be in the same industry.

'I felt very connected to her, I feel like because she's been able to use the platform she had, because of who her dad is, and then she took that and instead of being like, "oh, people define me by this," she took it and she was like, "OK, I have this immense privilege, now I'm going to use it to leverage something,"' she added.

'And what she chose to leverage is to launch a brand that is completely sustainable.'

Designer Stella has acted as a mentor to Phoebe, and even invited her to her first Paris Fashion Week trip, according to the outlet.

Phoebe has also praised Stella's commitment to sustainability, which she is also passionate about, along with activist and Phia co-founder Sophia Kianni.

'Stella has been able to build this empire while still holding onto her values,' Phoebe told Vogue last year.

'We reached out many times, and eventually, she really took us under her wing and has since been an advisor to us as we build out this platform.'

Stella also partnered 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, giving me a lift post-ceremony,' Phoebe wrote in blog for Nylon for her graduation alongside a loved-up snap of her beau giving her a piggyback.

In another photo from later in the day, Phoebe, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in human biology, stood with her arms wrapped around her new love interest alongside a caption that read: 'He cleans up nicely.' 

Arthur was previously rumored to be dating Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe's daughter Ava in 2018.

Before dating the grandson of The Beatles singer, Phoebe was in a relationship with fellow Stanford student Robert Ross. 

She had shared pictures of her cozying up 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 Information, and 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 notion that Phoebe might be dating a black man - with many choosing to make crude jokes suggesting that her rumored beau was simply using her for her father's money. 

The beauty has previously opened up about the highs and lows that come with getting so much attention online. 

When she was 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 waves in the world of fashion - receiving invites to coveted New York and Paris Fashion Week shows, elite parties, and star-studded events.

She has also racked up some celebrity 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 has gotten to where she is thanks to her wealthy background, both Bill and Melinda have continuously insisted that they are working hard to ensure that their kids 'create their own path'.

Discussing her graduation with Nylon, Phoebe explained that she was motivated to complete her course in three years - rather than four - in order to coincide with her mom's commencement speech at the ceremony.

She said: 'I knew I had to make it happen if I could, because I wanted to watch my mother deliver this year's commencement speech as a graduate. 

'I can't think of a better ending!'