Preston Bezos joins Karl Cook and Phoebe Gates on the list of wealthy tech progenies who have made their mark outside of Silicon Valley
Getty(2)
Left: Eve Jobs attends the Louis Vuitton Womenswear Fall/Winter show in Paris on March 5, 2024; Right: Karl Cook Eve Jobs attends the annual Critics’ Choice Awards in Santa Monica, Calif., on Jan. 11, 2018.
These offspring were born into tech royalty!
With industry leaders shaping the future through billion-dollar companies and groundbreaking innovations, many have built long-lasting legacies through their children, who might one day inherit their parents’ massive fortunes.
While some of these “nepo-tech babies” enjoy the luxuries that come with being born into wealth, many have pursued careers far beyond Silicon Valley. Others — like Bill Gates’ daughter, Phoebe Gates — use their privilege and fame for affirmative action.
“People have a lot of preconceptions about me, so TikTok has been a chance for me to tell my own story and also use the attention my family name might bring to spotlight issues that are important to me, like women’s health and sustainable fashion,” Phoebe said in a 2023 email interview with The Information.
From Phoebe to Olympic equestrian Karl Cook, here are some heirs and heiresses of the richest people in tech.
Preston Bezos
Amazon founder (and former CEO) Jeff Bezos is the father of four kids — three sons and one daughter — whom he shares with ex-wife MacKenzie Scott. Despite his global fame, Jeff has attempted to keep his children out of the spotlight, with only the name of his oldest son, Preston, known to the public. (Fun fact: Preston is also Jeff’s middle name!)
Though his kids are rarely seen, Preston was spotted accompanying dad Jeff at the 2020 Academy Awards.
Karl Cook
David Davies/PA Images via Getty
Karl Cook celebrates with his silver medal during the ceremony of the Jumping Team Final at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Among Intuit founder Scott Cook’s three kids is equestrian show jumper Karl, who competed in the Summer Olympics 2024 as a step-in for Kent Farrington and took home a silver medal alongside teammates McLain Ward and Laura Kraut.
After he and actress Kaley Cuocofinalized their divorce in 2022, Karl married entrepreneur Mackenzie Drazan on April 20, 2024, sharing a photo of their wedding day on Instagram.
Pete Ballmer
Pete Ballmer/x
Pete Ballmer shares a photo on X on June 7, 2020, holding a whiskey glass while wearing aviator sunglasses.
Pete Ballmer, the son of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, has made his own path as an aspiring comedian and writer. According to his official website, he’s a regular performer at local San Francisco comedy clubs and the lead producer for Don’t Tell Comedy.
Despite the many privileges that come with wealthy parents, Pete revealed on a 2024 episode of the Cash Cuties podcast that he felt “deeply uncomfortable” with his father’s billionaire status.
“It was not something that I wanted to be a part of who I was,” he said. “It’s not something that I made a part of my identity.”
Eve Jobs
Eve Jobs — the youngest child of late Apple founder Steve Jobs and billionaire investor Laurene Powell Jobs — is a Stanford University graduate (per her Instagram), accomplished equestrian and model represented by dna Model Management.
She has three siblings: Lisa, Reed and Erin.
Jennifer Gates
Melinda and Bill’s oldest child, Jennifer — founder of the international show jumping facility, Evergate Stables — graduated medical school in 2024 and is doing her residency at Mt. Sinai on the Pediatrics Research pathway.
Jennifer and professional equestrian Nayel Nassar tied the knot on their farm in 2021. Together, they share daughter Leila and are expecting their second child.
Related: Jennifer Gates Shares Sweet Photo of Bill Gates on Grandpa Duty Reading to Baby Leila
Jaime Xie
The only daughter of billionaire Ken Xie — who built the first firewall and VPN and is the founder and CEO of cybersecurity company Fortinet — is already creating her own empire … a fashion empire.
The fashion influencer has over 750,000 followers on Instagram and has made a living from brand collaborations and partnerships, according to Business Insider. She also starred on Netflix’s Bling Empire for three seasons.
Phoebe Gates
Phoebe Gates/Instagram
Phoebe Gates poses outside in the sun for a photo in 2021.
Phoebe, the youngest child of Bill and Melinda Gates, graduated from Stanford University in 2024 with a bachelor of science in human biology.
Outside of her studies, Phoebe has donated millions to abortion rights groups, worked on her father’s Netflix series, What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates and has been in a relationship with Arthur Donald (Paul McCartney’s grandson).
Maxima, August and Aurelia Zuckerberg
Co-founder and CEO of Facebook and Meta platforms, Mark Zuckerberg and pediatrician Dr. Priscilla Chan share three daughters: Maxima, August and Aurelia, whom they welcomed in 2023.
Their tech-billionaire parents often give life updates on Facebook and Instagram, from what the girls wore for Halloween to family outings at a Taylor Swift concert.
X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl and Techno Mechanicus
SpaceX founder and Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk has six kids with ex Justine Musk (née Wilson) and shares three children — sons X Æ A-12 (whose name was later changed to X Æ A-Xii) and Techno Mechanicus and daughter Exa Dark Sideræl — with singer Grimes.
In 2021, Elon and Shivon Zillis secretly welcomed twins, son Strider and daughter Azure. Together, they had another child — whose name is yet to be revealed — in early 2024.
Related: Every Woman Elon Musk Has Welcomed Kids With — and What They’ve Said About Their Blended Family
David and Megan Ellison
David Ellison/Instagram
David, Larry and Megan Ellison wearing matching white Oracle jackets while posing for a photo.
The children of billionaire Oracle Corporation co-founder Larry Ellison each have their own stake in Hollywood.
David Ellison is a producer and founder of Skydance Media, which is responsible for films such as True Grit(2010), Top Gun: Maverick (2022), Mission: Impossible – Dead ReckoningPart One(2023) and more.
Meanwhile, Megan Ellison is also a producer and founder of Annapurna Pictures, which released projects like Booksmart(2019), Pam & TommyandDead Ringers, among others.
Alexa Dell
Alexa Dell/Instagram
Alexa Dell smiling in a zebra-print jacket for a photo in 2024.
Alexa Dell — whose father is Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell and siblings are Zachary, Juliette and Kira — grew up in Austin, Texas, on an enormous estate dubbed “the Castle.”
The Dell heiress has become the most visible member of her private family, with over 48,000 followers on Instagram. She also started a tech consulting business that included dating app Bumble as a client, according to Business Insider.
In 2019, Alexa welcomed a baby boy.
Juliette Dell
Juliette Dell/Instagram
Juliette Dell poses outside with her dog, Poppy, for a photo.
Younger sister Juliette graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2019 and loves her mini bernedoodle, Poppy. She also has a passion for competitive horse riding.
In 2024, Juliette confirmed she married Chase Chamberlin, co-founder of Commonwealth Sports, on Instagram.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
