Nayel Nassar Gets Engaged to Daughter of Microsoft's Bill Gates

posted on: Feb 5, 2020

By: Joyce Behrens/Arab America Contributing Writer

A recent story was developed last week of a newly engaged couple. Not just another celebrity engagement in the media, but the daughter of Bill Gates, the multi-billionaire and founder of Microsoft. Jennifer Gates, 23, was recently engaged to 29-year-old, Egyptian equestrian, Nayel Nassar. Gates and Nassar have been dating for two years. They first met when Gates was a student at Stanford University. The announcement was confirmed on January 29^th, 2020, on both of their Instagram accounts. Both traveled for a romantic, ski trip getaway last week. Nassar proposed to Gates as they were skiing. The couple is shown snuggled up together on the snow slops in the social media post. Both Gates and Nassar are overjoyed to be sharing the future together; both come from two very, different life journeys, but share a lot of similarities.

Who is Nayel Nassar?

Nassar was born in Chicago, Illinois to Egyptian parents, but raised in Kuwait. He shares the same economic standing as Gates. His parents run a successful architecture and design agency based in Kuwait. Nassar is trilingual, fluent in English, Arabic, and French. In 2009, Nassar relocated to the United States to pursue his undergraduate studies at Stanford University. He graduated with a degree in economics in 2013. Nassar’s main passion has been horseback riding throughout his life. The love for the sport started from an early age, which eventually led to a competitive career.

His love of horses began at the age of five. His parents bought his first horse in Kuwait. By the age of ten, Nassar started competing. Some of his major competitions included the FEI World Cup Finals ( 2013, 2014, and 2017 ) as well as the FEI World Equestrian Games (2014). His next big competition will take place at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Since both of his parents originate from Egypt, Nassar will be a part of the Egyptian equestrian team. This is the first time in sixty years that Egypt will make an appearance. The last Olympic appearance by Egypt in this specific sport was from the 1960 Olympics in Rome.

Jennifer Gates’ Background

Gates’ story is separate from her multi-billionaire father’s successes. She is a recent graduate of Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in biology. Gates shared the same alma mater as her fiancé. Also, Nassar was present at her graduation in 2018. Like Nassar, she has a love for horses and has been equestrian since the age of six. She is an amateur equestrian, meaning she considers it as a hobby for herself, whereas Nassar is a competitor in the sport. It’s clear that the couple’s interest in horses is a strong bond between them. Both are there for each other when one of two is on the course.

When it comes to her future ahead, she considers herself torn between two passions: going into the medical field or pursuing the equestrian sport full-time. Especially, her father has stated that he would only offer his three children a “minuscule” portion of his fortune. He wants his children to provide for themselves in order to live an independent life down the road. She must be aware to provide for her own future ahead, regardless of which career path she takes. As of right now, her ambitions are to complete medical school while training in horseback riding as a hobby.

Wedding Preparations

It’s still very early to know about the details of this wedding. With the Olympics right around the corner, Nassar will be in training camps. Definitely, Gates will be cheering on for her fiancé from the stands. Most likely, wedding arrangements will be in the works after the summer games. Right now, the couple is enjoying the moment of the engagement.

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