The online shopping app Phia raised over $43 million and captured media attention for its A-list investors and its high-profile co-founders — Phoebe Gates, daughter of Bill Gates, and her college roommate and podcast co-host Sophia Kianni.

But Bloomberg reporting suggests that Phia was pushing features that took credit for sales it didn’t drive. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg technology editor Olivia Solon shares her reporting on Phia and what the startup’s founders may have known about those features.

Read more: 
Gates Heir’s Shopping App Claimed Sales It Didn’t Drive
Phoebe Gates Knew Phia Shopping App Took Credit for Sales It Didn’t Drive

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Olivia Solon.

Fact-checking by Victor Swezey and Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Alex Sugiura and Emma Munger.

Senior Producer and Editor: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The online shopping app Phia raised over $43 million and captured media attention for its A-list investors and its high-profile co-founders &mdash; Phoebe Gates, daughter of Bill Gates, and her college roommate and podcast co-host Sophia Kianni.
But Bloomberg reporting suggests that Phia was pushing features that took credit for sales it didn&rsquo;t drive. On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg technology editor Olivia Solon shares her reporting on Phia and what the startup&rsquo;s founders may have known about those features.
Read more:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-09/gates-heir-s-shopping-app-took-credit-for-sales-it-didn-t-drive">Gates Heir&rsquo;s Shopping App Claimed Sales It Didn&rsquo;t Drive</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-11/phia-app-co-founders-pushed-for-features-taking-credit-for-sales-it-didn-t-drive?srnd=undefined">Phoebe Gates Knew Phia Shopping App Took Credit for Sales It Didn&rsquo;t Drive</a></li>
</ul>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Olivia Solon.
Fact-checking by Victor Swezey and Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Alex Sugiura and Emma Munger.
Senior Producer and Editor: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

The Controversy at Phia, Phoebe Gates’ Buzzy Startup

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/aa408535-c169-46d7-bb29-b4a3014b56c5/transcript

Russia escalated attacks on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv this past weekend. It’s the latest signal that Ukraine could face a brutal, decisive winter in this conflict.

Meanwhile, the CIA director paid Moscow a visit last week, and “hybrid” attacks in Europe that have been linked to Russia are heightening concern among NATO countries that the conflict could widen as Russia takes the upper hand. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg Opinion’s Marc Champion unpack the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war, the state of European and American involvement and why the next few months could be so crucial. 

Read more: 
Russia’s Escalating Hybrid Attacks Put Europeans in a Bind 
Ukraine Is In More Danger Than It Seems

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Guest: Marc Champion; Edited by Naomi Shavin. Fact-checking by Big Take team; Engineering by Sean Carter. Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

Russia escalated attacks on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv this past weekend. It&rsquo;s the latest signal that Ukraine could face a brutal, decisive winter in this conflict.
Meanwhile, the CIA director paid Moscow a visit last week, and &ldquo;hybrid&rdquo; attacks in Europe that have been linked to Russia are heightening concern among NATO countries that the conflict could widen as Russia takes the upper hand.&nbsp;
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg Opinion&rsquo;s Marc Champion unpack the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war, the state of European and American involvement and why the next few months could be so crucial.&nbsp;
Read more:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-26/russia-is-escalating-hybrid-attacks-and-europe-has-no-answer">Russia&rsquo;s Escalating Hybrid Attacks Put Europeans in a Bind</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2026-08-24/from-grain-to-refugees-winter-is-coming-for-ukraine-this-time?srnd=undefined">Ukraine Is In More Danger Than It Seems</a> </li>
</ul>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Guest: Marc Champion; Edited by Naomi Shavin. Fact-checking by Big Take team; Engineering by Sean Carter. Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

CIA Director Visits Moscow As Ukraine Stares Down a Dangerous Winter

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a94bd579-f9a5-40c4-9a20-b4b801574e4d/transcript

Meta has agreed to pay a $17 billion settlement over a range of claims related to the safety and privacy of its platforms, including youth use of social media. The outcome, announced last week, could have implications for other companies, too.

On today’s Big Take Podcast, Bloomberg investigative reporter Olivia Carville talks to host Sarah Holder about the landmark case, and how new information about the death of a teenage TikTok user in 2022 could shape the debate around child safety online.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, a global list of helplines is available at blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines.

Read more: TikTok Withheld a Safety Feature From Millions. One Died by Suicide

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Olivia Carville; Edited by Aaron Edwards and Julia Weaver. Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Sean Carter. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

Meta has agreed to pay a $17 billion settlement over a range of claims related to the safety and privacy of its platforms, including youth use of social media. The outcome, announced last week, could have implications for other companies, too.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take Podcast, Bloomberg investigative reporter Olivia Carville talks to host Sarah Holder about the landmark case, and how new information about the death of a teenage TikTok user in 2022 could shape the debate around child safety online.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, a global list of helplines is available at <a href="https://blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines/">blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines</a>.
Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-08-04/confidential-tiktok-report-shows-algorithm-safety-feature-withheld-from-millions">TikTok Withheld a Safety Feature From Millions. One Died by Suicide</a>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Olivia Carville; Edited by Aaron Edwards and Julia Weaver. Fact-checking by Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Sean Carter. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

TikTok Experimented With Users’ Algorithms. One Died By Suicide

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/84f9383d-93e7-4ace-9c5c-b4b70159a85b/transcript

 A 12-foot grim reaper becomes a neighborhood war cry, and the preacher-podcaster crosses the street.

Today on The Big Take: Chapter 4 of Our Town, a limited-run series from Bloomberg and The Big Take, hosted by Meribah Knight with Bloomberg’s Susan Berfield.

Our Town tells the story of a battle over identity fought on one small town’s soil, where acreage, heritage, and what it means to be an American are all up for grabs.

New episodes of Our Town publish on Mondays, but you can listen early on Fridays right here in The Big Take feed. We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. 

Hosted by Meribah Knight with Susan Berfield Produced by: Rebecca Laks and David Fox with Julia Weaver and help from Laura Newcombe Edited by: Rebecca Laks and Ken Armstrong Original Score and Mixing by: Alex Sugiura Fact-checking by: Annika Robbins and Rachael Lewis-Krisky Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer 

&nbsp;A 12-foot grim reaper becomes a neighborhood war cry, and the preacher-podcaster crosses the street. Today on The Big Take: Chapter 4 of Our Town, a limited-run series from Bloomberg and The Big Take, hosted by Meribah Knight with Bloomberg&rsquo;s Susan Berfield.
Our Town tells the story of a battle over identity fought on one small town&rsquo;s soil, where acreage, heritage, and what it means to be an American are all up for grabs.
New episodes of Our Town publish on Mondays, but you can listen early on Fridays right here in The Big Take feed. We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts"> Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>&nbsp;
Hosted by Meribah Knight with Susan Berfield Produced by: Rebecca Laks and David Fox with Julia Weaver and help from Laura Newcombe Edited by: Rebecca Laks and Ken Armstrong Original Score and Mixing by: Alex Sugiura Fact-checking by: Annika Robbins and Rachael Lewis-Krisky Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer&nbsp;

Our Town Chapter 4: All Metal Mode

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f3ce4320-0d76-43dc-bea6-b4b4012494f0/transcript

The Controversy at Phia, Phoebe Gates’ Buzzy Startup

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