Stanford’s secretive Rule course draws scrutiny after reports tied it to Phoebe Gates

A little-known Stanford course called Rule has come under fresh scrutiny after a New York Post report identified Phoebe Gates, the daughter of Bill Gates, as one of its alumni. The class, formally titled So You Think You Can Rule the World?, reportedly has no course code, runs once a year during the winter quarter, and admits only 12 students per cohort, split evenly between men and women. Entry is not available through the university’s registration system and instead depends on referrals from former students. According to student descriptions cited in the source material, the course focuses on understanding and using the deep incentive structures that shape how the world works. Stanford Daily reporting said the class was founded by Justin Lewis-Weber, a Stanford graduate in aeronautics and astronautics, and includes Socratic-style discussions, short student presentations, and topics such as multipolar traps, prisoner’s dilemma dynamics, and commons problems. Guest speakers have included negotiation specialist Stan Christensen and startup lawyers discussing practical strategy. The course has drawn sharply divided reactions. Some former students described it as transformative and energizing, while critics said it teaches students how to break into power structures and bureaucracy to get what they want. The renewed attention also comes as Phia, the AI shopping comparison startup co-founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni in 2025, faces scrutiny over allegations reported earlier by Bloomberg involving affiliate marketing cookies and disputed commission attribution.