Journey of billionaire Bill Gates's only son from lavish estate to low-key life

Rory, 25, was raised in an expansive 66,000-sq-ft (6,130-square-meter) lakefront estate worth $130 million in Medina, Washington, known as Xanadu 2.0 along with his two sisters: Jennifer Gates Nassar, 28, and Phoebe Gates, 21, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

He was described as "compassionate and curious" by Melinda in a 2017 essay she wrote for TIME magazine, and appears to lead a low-key life with private social media accounts, an obsession with puzzles, and a close relationship with his mom.

Even with their wealthy lifestyle, Bill and Melinda ensured their three kids adhered to certain rules: no mobile phones until they turned 14 and nightly dishwashing duties.

When the children eventually received their phones, they were subject to strict guidelines, such as not being able to use phones at the dinner table and having their screen time closely regulated.

Rory attended Lakeside School in Seattle, Washington, a prestigious private high school that his father also studied at.

His educational path then mirrored his mother's, earning a bachelor's degree in computer software engineering and economics at Duke University, followed by an MBA from Fuqua School of Business.

In 2022, he graduated from the University of Chicago, where he was apparently involved in moot court, as evidenced by a photo posted by the University of Chicago Moot Court Team on Facebook.

At the time of his graduation, his older sister Jennifer shared on social media that he had earned a double major and a master's degree.

Public information about Rory's activities since graduation is scarce. However, a report by news platform Puck last year said he works as a congressional analyst while also completing a doctorate, according to Business Insider.

He also made a rare public appearance recently when he attended the White House state dinner on May 23, arriving arm-in-arm with his mother.

Bill Gates has reportedly stated that he plans to leave each of his three children a small inheritance of $10 million, a fraction of his $131 billion net worth, while Melinda wanted to increase their kid’s inheritance, according to Page Six.