This is what happens when you prematurely announce that you're going to leave your children a mere billion apiece

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Of course, she’ll never feel the discomfort of steel bracelets, let alone see the inside of a prison cell, but it’s interesting view of a seething, scheming daughter angered at being disinherited — well sort of disinherited; kinda, anyway.

Bill Gates’ daughter Phoebe accused of ‘cookie stuffing’ scheme that has max penalty of 20 years in prison: reports

Bill Gates’ “nepo baby” daughter Phoebe Gates, 23, has been accused of “cookie stuffing” at her multibillion-dollar startup, Phia – an illicit practice that comes with a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, according to reports.

Phia – a digital personal shopping assistant co-founded by Gates with fellow Stanford alum Sophia Kianni – reacted with shock in July following reports that it was dropping more web “cookies” than it should, taking undue credit for online sales at retail partners.

[Wikipedia explains: “An investigation by Bloomberg News, as well as findings from independent consultant Ben Edelman, found that if a user shopped at an online retailer — even if they arrived at the site on their own or through another affiliate program like Wirecutter — Phia would open a new tab in the background. During the checkout process, Phia would override the referral codes from other affiliates and instead inject its own, allowing it to take credit for and potentially receive a commission on a purchase it didn’t earn. Edelman stated that statements made by the leadership of Phia, claiming it was a "bug", are misleading and concluded that "Deliberately building and deploying a feature called "auto_drop" that automatically sets affiliate tracking — cannot be dismissed as a mere bug. It's intentional, and it violates both trust and contract".

The company released a statement that it had only learned of the issue “within the last 24 hours,” pledging to fix the glitch – but according to a new Bloomberg report, the young entrepreneurs had known for at least seven months that their startup was overcounting its sales commissions.

Ariel Givner, founder and principal attorney at Givner Law, warned in a post on X Tuesday that “cookie stuffing” can come with serious consequences.

“It’s typically treated as federal wire fraud in US courts. There’s a possibility of a max penalty of up to 20 years prison + fines/restitution,” Givner wrote.

The startup – which raised a jaw-dropping $30 million in 2025 from backers including Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner and Spanx founder Sara Blakely – operates as a browser extension, finding discount codes for customers across online retailers when they click on Phia at checkout.

When a shopper uses Phia by selecting one of its coupon codes, the software drops a “cookie” – which tracks activity across the web – to show that retailer it helped drive the sale and earn itself a commission.

But Kianni and Gates – the Microsoft princess whose dad is worth $108.4 billion, according to Forbes – were aware of features that dropped cookies into the checkout process even when customers did not use Phia, according to people familiar with the matter and internal Slack messages reviewed by Bloomberg.

The illicit cookie stuffing traced back to at least December across sales at several major retailers, including Nike, Gap and Nordstrom, and seemingly made up the bulk of Phia’s revenue, according to the news outlet.

After Phia disabled the features in July, average daily revenue at the company plummeted from around $80,000 to between $10,000 and $28,000, according to Bloomberg. 

In June, cookie stuffing accounted for about 51% of the merchandise value that Phia claimed credit for selling, the report said.

According to an internal dashboard viewed by Bloomberg, what Phia initially called a software bug in July was actually a feature called “enable coupon auto drop,” which the company was able to switch on and off.

At one point, Gates – who insisted that she wanted to succeed without her billionaire parents’ help, saying she has “such a desire to prove myself” – grew concerned that Phia wasn’t generating as much commission from Etsy as she had expected. 

She messaged developers to make sure that Phia was dropping a cookie each time its browser extension popped up, even if the shopper didn’t click a coupon, which would allow it to earn commission for the total gross merchandise value, the report said.

In a Slack channel on Dec. 18, she wrote: “worried this is an issue across the board…can u confirm auto pop for cookie drop is live on ALL sites w a coupon to confirm we are monetizing on all gmv.”

In a separate incident, Kianni suggested a feature that would drop a cookie each time a user simply tried to close out a Phia pop-up, according to Bloomberg. 

A colleague told Kianni that Google Chrome prohibits extensions from dropping affiliate cookies on “dismiss events,” or when a customer simply tries to close out a notification, and Kianni conceded.

But she added: “I guess we could say that the user is trying to open us and roll it back if they complain,” according to the report.

How impoverished is poor Phoebe that she was forced to defraud? Practically penniless, if you don’t count the millions or billions coming her way when Mother Melinda falls off the deck of their motoryacht.

AI Overview

Bill Gates plans to leave his three children less than 1% of his massive fortune, meaning over 99% will go to charity. However, because his net worth exceeds $100 billion, that "less than 1%" still amounts to more than $1 billion for each child.

The Inheritance Plan

  • The Share: Each child (Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe) will receive a tiny fraction of the total wealth, calculated at under 1%.

  • The Value: With a net worth hovering around $100–$150 billion, 1% translates to roughly $1 billion to $1.5 billion per child.

  • Prior Support: Gates has noted that his children received an exceptional upbringing, top-tier education, and financial support for their foundational opportunities.

The Reasoning

  • Independence: Gates believes that handing children massive, multi-billion-dollar fortunes does not do them any favors or help them build their own identities.

Listed as both land and residence, this will be going as land, and probably well over ask, too

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33 Nimitz Place, $1.65 million, whether one buys it for land or end use. It’s a 45-acre ;ot (19,602 sq.ft. in the R-12 — 12,000 sq. ft. minimum lot size, so something huge can be built here, and it certainly will.

It’s a shame: anyone who, by stretching, could scrape up to afford to buy this house as a starter home wouldn’t stand of chance of nabbing one of those $4.5 million subsidized luxury condos on Mason Street. What a dummy.

Luxury Housing for the few — and I’m not speaking of the rich

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The legal wars continue, but the first initial marketing efforts for the luxury condos at the old D’Elia Honda location on Mason Street has begun.

Some of the long, tortuous journey through the P&Z and the courts is printed below, and there is plenty more at GreenwichWise, but essentially, in exchange for building far more units than zoning would otherwise allow, without setbacks, the builder must make 24 of the 75 units “affordable” and must match market-rate units in size and finish quality.

Here’s how “affordable” is defined:

Income and Affordability Limits for Greenwich (2026)

For Greenwich under CGS § 8-30g, the state median income standard applies because it is lower than the federal HUD area median metrics. The limits break down as follows:

AI Overview

Under Connecticut's § 8-30g statute, affordable housing is defined as residential units where households pay 30% or less of their annual income, and that income is 80% or less of the area median income (AMI).

  • 100% State Median Family Income: $129,500

  • 80% Adjusted Income Limit: $103,600 (overall cap)

  • 60% Adjusted Income Limit: $77,700

The units sound lovely; certainly I couldn’t afford one, nor could any of my children, and that’s the way the world goes ‘round — big deal. Except that, for 24 people, it doesn’t. For a monthly payment of, as I calculate it, $2,590 ($103,600 x 30% = $31,080 ÷ 12 = $2,950), approx. $370,000-$465,000, these lucky buyers will get to purchase a condominium unit identical to ones that less deserving people will be paying $4.5 million for, and up.

My question is, why are these two dozen buyers with incomes below $103,600 more deserving than, say, someone earning $103,700 a year? Or for that matter, $250,000? Or, let’s go wild here, $5,000,000? If, as certain Greenwich residents claim, there is a “moral obligation” to make a few units of housing available to a select few individuals who’d like to live in town, from where does that obligation arise, why does it extend only to a certain income class and then stop, and, most important, does it really stretch so far that there exists an obligation (and on whom?) to provide luxury housing worth $4.5 million for the price of a single bedroom rental apartment?

(Some background):

This Upcoming Connecticut Development Will Bring 78 Residences to Downtown Greenwich

The Robert A.M. Stern Architects-designed Chilston Court will offer condos and penthouses priced from roughly $4.5 million to upward of $10 million

…. The residences range from two-bedroom homes to penthouses, with even the smallest layouts measuring more than 2,000 square feet. Caspi said the units were intentionally designed with oversized primary suites, generous closets, wide hallways and ceilings exceeding nine feet so owners accustomed to sprawling Connecticut estates wouldn’t feel as if they were sacrificing comfort simply because they were moving into a condominium.

Rather than trying to recreate a suburban estate, Chilston Court instead borrows cues from luxury hospitality. Interiors by London firm Bryan O’Sullivan Studio are complemented by roughly 10,000 square feet of shared amenities—including a lap pool, wellness facilities, a 20-person private dining room, and speakeasy—along with concierge services and dedicated delivery closets that allow packages, groceries, and laundry to be dropped off while residents are away.

Chilston Court apartments start around $4.5 million and climb past $10 million.

The developer and the town are still mired in litigation, and this will probably all drag on for years, The article below, however, was published before last week’ Superior Court decision upholding the Town’s demand that all “affordable units” units be comparable to their multi-million dollar neighbors.

Developer sues Greenwich Planning & Zoning over limits put on Mason Street affordable housing project

GREENWICH — The Planning & Zoning Commission is being sued by developers over conditions it imposed on approvals for two large residential buildings on Mason Street that were authorized by the commission in December.

The lawsuit seeks to overturn the conditions and grant approval for the project with retail space and no restrictions on the size of the affordable units.

Mason Street Partners and developer Joshua Caspi say the conditions that the commission imposed went against state law 8-30g, which is designed to provide the community with affordable housing units. The law states projects offering affordable housing units, as the Mason Street development has been proposing, can only be denied or modified on "health and public safety" issues.

The lawsuit contends that the conditions imposed on the approvals — eliminating any retail space from the project and requiring that the affordable units be nearly identical in size as the market-rate units — ran counter to the state law and should be invalidated.

The lawsuit has been filed in State Superior Court in Hartford. A message sent to the office of town attorney Barbara Schellenberg was not returned.

The long-running and controversial project was resubmitted to the Planning Commission in November, with a reduced number of total units in both buildings on Mason Street set at 75, down from 92 in an earlier draft. The 24 affordable units were evenly distributed in the two buildings. 

During review, the commission went into a lengthy discussion about "comparability," seeking to ensure that the affordable units did not carry any perception that they were of lesser value or quality. Commissioners said they wanted to avoid any perception of "a rich door, poor door," in the phrase that came up during discussions of the application. 

As part of its condition for approval, the commission required that the affordable units would have to be no less than 90% of the size of the market-rate units. The commission also said there could be no retail space in the buildings, which would have taken up around 4% of the total square footage of the new construction.

The developers in their suit took issue with the requirement for "comparability."

According to the legal complaint filed last month, "Mason Street Partners responded to this concern by pointing out that comparability is not a health or safety concern," the lawsuit stated. In addition, the developers claimed, earlier court rulings held that "comparability was 'a matter of opinion' that cannot be a basis of denial.” Further, they stated, the smallest affordable units in the Mason Street development would be larger than most of the condo units on the market in Greenwich at full price. 

Because the project is taking advantage of state law 8-30g, providing the community with affordable housing units, the town Planning & Zoning Commission has little regulatory power over the proposal. Under the state law, the developers can override local zoning codes for the goal of creating affordable housing. The project does not meet the normal setback requirements from the street in central Greenwich, and the structures are higher than what would normally would be allowed.

His base will certainly applaud him, but how will this play in the rest of Michigan?

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Condo sale pending south of the Village

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313 Sound Beach Avenue, guide price $1.850 but pending after 14 days, so probably going for more. Originally built in 1879, it served as local Dr. Brock’s residence and office back in the day (50s and 60s), expanded in 1968 and converted to four condominium units in 1983. Great location, just a few hundred yards south of the school — maybe just one hundred — it will either appeal to those who adore the exciting retro look of the 60s-70s era, or those looking for an update project.

I haven’t tested it, but that does look like genuine, original formica

Vinyl cabinetry, gold bathroom trim: a winning combination then and now

Things are heating up in the frigid waters of Maine

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Fortunately, Pal Nancy has departed Colorado and is coming east to defend us

Scarborough Lifeguard Dragged Underwater by Shark Amid Growing Number of Great White Sightings

A Scarborough lifeguard was dragged five to six feet underwater by a shark before he was able to break free on Saturday, amid a growing number of recent great white sightings in the area.

[RELATED: Great Whites Are Moving Into Saco Bay — And Some Are Getting Remarkably Close to Maine’s Most Popular Beaches…]

On Saturday afternoon, a lifeguard was on a rescue torpedo in the water off Scarborough Beach State Park when his device was grabbed by a shark.

The shark pulled him five to six feet underwater before he was able to extricate himself from the strap attached to the torpedo and swim to shore.

A witness reported seeing the torpedo subsequently come out of the water shortly after the lifeguard began fleeing.

The lifeguard exited the water without further incident, and the beach was closed for approximately one hour while lifeguards and public safety personnel assessed the situation.

The incident is consistent with the recent increase in shark activity in the area.

Beachgoers are urged to avoid swimming near fish, seals, or areas where birds are feeding, avoid swimming alone, and report shark activity to lifeguards.

The Scarborough Police Department also reminded swimmers that shark activity can occur close to the shore and in shallow water.

It’s the law of unintended consequences at work: the federal Save the Seals Act of 1972 brought the grey and harbor seal population back from near-extinction, the Stop the Chinese from eating American Shark Fin Soup law in the 90s helped the sharks numbers rise again, and so, food+predators+swimmers all add up to a summer smorgasbord of fun in the Atlantic.

Exciting times.

It certainly didn’t take them long to discover and practice the first principle of communism (Updated)

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NYC first lady Rama Duwaji traveling to Syria, Lebanon — with taxpayer-funded NYPD security detail: sources

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wife Rama Duwaji is heading to Syria and Lebanon next month – and she’s bringing along cops assigned to the First Couple’s taxpayer-funded NYPD detail, The Post has learned.

Duwaji will be jetting to the Middle East for a trip beginning Sept. 20 to the countries on the State Department’s “Do Not Travel” list for Americans because of dangerous conditions, a source said.

The source familiar with the security detail said the first lady, who’s been described by the mayor as a “private person,” requested NYPD security – after traveling overseas last month without police protection.

Duwaji, a 29-year-old Syrian-American [anchor baby] has ties to the region and refers to herself as a “Syrian Illustrator” on her website. Her parents are Syrian Muslims originally from Damascus and now living in Dubai, where Duwaji herself was raised.

Mamdani’s office confirmed the trip and that an NYPD security detail will accompany the mayor’s wife.

The source with knowledge of the trip told The Post, “It’s not official business. It’s not doing anything for the city.”

One pro-Israel Jewish advocate opposed sending members of the NYPD to Syria and Lebanon, arguing the officers, not the Israel-bashing Duwaji, will be targets.

“We’re putting the police officers in danger. They will be viewed as the bad guys. These are war zones,” said Dov Hikind, founder of Americans Against Antisemitism and a former Brooklyn Assemblyman.

“Duwaji doesn’t need security. She will get a hero’s welcome and be protected by Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis,” Hikind said, referring to Islamic terrorists and militants.

“Duwaji will be fine.”

According to a Forbes review of the his financial disclosure filings, the new mayor has estimated his net worth as $2,000 in cash and a 4-acre parcel of land (presumably gifted him by his rich parents, as he was taking in less than $12,000 annually from his career as an aspiring rap artist) in Uganda. If he feels that he and Duwaji can afford to see her off to a family get together in the Middle East well, bless their hearts, let her go, just as she fled the US last month during the city’s celebration of our 250th anniversary to attend, first, an Islamic Women’s Retreat on Mallorca, a seaside resort event that “centered on sacred plants mentioned in Islamic texts through art, botanical workshops and spiritual reflection”, before continuing on to another Islamic women’s gathering on Corsica that celebrated Mary, mother of Jesus, as the most honored woman in Islam (how Mary, a Jew born hundreds of years before ol’ Mohammed hisself invented Islam wasn’t explained, aparently, but I’m sure they worked around that difficulty).

But, while this happy couple is surely to be admired for the frugality and dedication they’ve exerted to scrimp and save to afford these junkets, some taxpayers — Islamophobic bigots, no doubt — might still wish that Duwaji and Zohran dip a little deeper into their purses and cough up the funds necessary to pay for a half-dozen or so NYC cops on overtime to accompany the city’s first lady on her latest vacation. Those whiners will be the first to be lined up against the wall, ungrateful Jew-lovers that they are, though others will surely follow as the People’s Revolution unfolds.

UPDATE: Mamdani proposes, the NYP disposes: “No way are we sending our guys there”

The NYPD denied it’s sending any personnel to serve as security detail for Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wife Rama Duwaji during her upcoming Middle East trip – an awkward rejoinder to City Hall’s claim the department “strongly” recommended she be accompanied by New York City cops.

“The NYPD does not send officers to countries with level four travel advisories for discretionary reasons not linked to investigative work,” an NYPD spokesperson insisted early Tuesday.

“It’s not official business. It’s not doing anything for the city,” a source with knowledge of the trip told The Post.

A source familiar with her security detail said the first lady, who Mamdani has described as a “private person,” specifically requested NYPD provide security following another overseas trip last month without police protection.

The mayor’s office made it seem like New York’s Finest accompanying Duwaji on her Middle East jaunt was a done deal.

“Upon the strong recommendation of the NYPD, the First Lady’s security detail will be joining her when she travels to visit family in Syria and Lebanon,” said mayoral spokesperson Dora Pekec.

But the department quickly shot down the notion in unambiguous terms.

“This is not an investigative trip, and therefore, NYPD personnel will not be traveling there for it.”

I don't think you need wear a tinfoil cap to suspect that 85 vaccine doses to cover 18 diseases might be excessive

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and once again

I’m not a huge fan of RFK Jr.’s positions on vaccines, especially those he held (and probably still holds, privately) before being appointed Health and Human Services Secretary. That said, it’s not too hard to believe that the medical profession has been too aggressively expanding the number of required vaccines for infants and young children the past two decades; at least, it should be looked at.

Trump and Kennedy Slash Recommended Immunizations for Small Kids

Partly the change stems from recognition that the U.S. recommended more childhood vaccines than any other peer nation, sometimes up to twice as many doses as those recommended in European countries. Furthermore, transparency is a much better way of ensuring public trust than mandates.

In 1980, American children following the CDC immunization schedule received 23 vaccine doses in 7 shots against 7 different diseases. In 2024, the recommended number of routine vaccines had risen to at least 84 vaccine doses in at least 57 shots for 17 diseases, plus the RSV monoclonal antibody immunization for a total of 18 diseases. This is more than other developed nations.

The scientific assessment recommends prioritizing 11 routine childhood vaccines, while preserving flexibility for parents and doctors to make individualized decisions for higher-risk children through shared clinical decision-making.