Forget everything you thought you knew about young billionaires – the landscape has dramatically shifted! For years, Mark Zuckerberg, at the tender age of 23, held the title of the world's youngest self-made billionaire. But now, a new generation has arrived, and they're even younger.
Mercor, a cutting-edge recruitment startup, is making waves by powering AI model training for some of Silicon Valley's biggest players. And guess what? They've just minted a new class of billionaires. Three co-founders, all a mere 22 years old, have taken the crown, dethroning Zuckerberg and rewriting the rules of the game.
This San Francisco-based firm recently secured a massive $350 million funding round, spearheaded by Felicis Ventures, with support from industry giants like Benchmark, General Catalyst, and Robinhood. This deal catapulted Mercor's valuation to a staggering $10 billion, instantly transforming CEO Brendan Foody, CTO Adarsh Hiremath, and board chairman Surya Midha into billionaires. Each reportedly holds around 22% ownership, according to Forbes.
It's worth noting that two of the co-founders, Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha, are Americans of Indian origin.
Foody shared his disbelief, stating, “It feels surreal… This is far beyond anything we could have imagined two years ago.”
Even in the fast-paced world of Silicon Valley, where young founders are often celebrated, Mercor's leadership stands out for its youth. All three founders are Thiel Fellows, recipients of Peter Thiel's $100,000 grants, awarded to young innovators who opt out of college to build companies. They've become the poster children for the AI generation's new breed of twenty-something founders.
Hiremath, who left Harvard after his sophomore year, reflected on the whirlwind of change: “If I weren’t working on Mercor, I’d have just graduated a few months ago. Everything changed so fast.”
This latest valuation places the trio at the top of the youngest tech billionaires list, surpassing Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, who briefly held the title at 27 following a $2 billion investment round. Before that, Scale AI’s Alexandr Wang, now 28, held the distinction, while Lucy Guo, Wang’s cofounder, became the youngest self-made woman billionaire at 30.
And this is the part most people miss... All three Mercor founders achieved billionaire status earlier than Mark Zuckerberg, who first crossed the mark at 23. Midha, born two months after his peers, is the youngest of the three. Only Kylie Jenner reached the milestone younger — though Forbes later revised her valuation, citing inflated figures.
Founded in 2023, Mercor initially focused on connecting software engineers in India with US companies seeking freelance developers. The platform's innovative feature allowed candidates to interview with AI avatars, matching them to projects based on skill alignment. During this process, the company stumbled upon the lucrative data labeling sector, connecting specialized contractors like PhDs and lawyers with top-tier AI research labs, including OpenAI.
But here's where it gets controversial... The speed at which these young entrepreneurs have amassed their fortunes is truly remarkable. Does this signal a fundamental shift in how wealth is created and distributed? Are we entering an era where age is no longer a barrier to immense success? What do you think about the rise of these young billionaires? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
