Bill Gates' daughter reveals her father has Asperger’s syndrome

Washington: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ daughter, Phoebe Gates, has spilled the beans that her father has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) called Asperger's syndrome.

Appearing on the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast, the 22-year-old said her father’s social awkwardness was hilarious to her when she brought her boyfriend home to meet him but ‘ For the guy, terrifying. For me, it's hilarious because my dad's pretty socially awkward’.

Speaking to host Alex Cooper, Phoebe revealed that ‘Like he's said before, he has Asperger's. So like to me, it's so funny.’

The 69-year-old billionaire earlier told NDTV that if he were a young boy of today he would probably be ‘diagnosed on the autism spectrum’.

However, the Microsoft co-founder, has not been formally diagnosed on the autism spectrum.

Alongside trouble communicating and interacting, people with ASD show repetitive behavior and compulsive interests as it is an intricate developmental condition impacting communication and social abilities.

Gates, who authored his memoir ‘Source Code: My Beginnings’ stated that it was not known back then that ‘different people's brains processed information differently,’ according to NDTV.

He pointed out that diagnosis today helps people on the spectrum understand their brain function and remove negative stereotypes about them.

The philanthropist recalled that back then no "guideposts or textbooks" were available for parents to know why their son got fixated on some specific tasks but failed to catch social cue while being ‘rude and inappropriate’.

Although he never got any autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, he was taken to a therapist as a child.

The therapist succeeded in convincing him over year that ‘my mental style might be a positive thing.’