Phoebe Gates faces fraud allegations regarding Phia startup

Phoebe Gates, daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates, is facing scrutiny over alleged digital fraud involving her startup, Phia. Launched in April 2025 alongside co-founder Sophia Kianni, the AI-driven fashion and shopping platform was designed to analyze market trends and compare garment prices in real time.

Reports from Bloomberg suggest the application may have engaged in ‘cookie stuffing,’ a fraudulent digital practice. This technique involves a website covertly inserting a tracking cookie onto a user’s device without their knowledge or interaction. This allows the site to claim unfair commissions by forcing the browser to save affiliate cookies, ensuring the platform receives payment for online sales even when it did not facilitate the transaction.