The World’s Youngest Self-Made Billionaires: A Trio of 22-Year-Old AI Founders

In a world where tech startups often make headlines for their innovative ideas and massive valuations, a new story is stealing the spotlight. Imagine three 22-year-old friends from the Bay Area, who once spent their high school days arguing points in debate club, now sitting on billions of dollars thanks to their AI-powered recruiting company. That’s the incredible tale of Mercor’s founders: Adarsh Hiremath, Brendan Foody, and Surya Midha.

With their startup Mercor hitting a whopping $10 billion valuation after a fresh $350 million funding round, these young entrepreneurs have just become the youngest self-made billionaires in history. They even edged out Mark Zuckerberg, who was 23 when he first crossed that billion-dollar threshold back in 2004. It’s a milestone that feels straight out of a Hollywood script, but it’s very much real life in today’s fast-paced AI world.

From Debate Club to Billion-Dollar Dreams

Mercor isn’t just any tech company—it’s a game-changer in the recruiting space, especially for AI labs hungry for top talent. The startup helps match skilled professionals, like PhDs and expert coders, with big players in Silicon Valley who need help training their cutting-edge AI models. What started as a simple idea to connect freelance engineers from India with U.S. firms has exploded into something much bigger.

The funding round, led by Felicis Ventures and backed by heavy-hitters like Benchmark, General Catalyst, and Robinhood Ventures, has valued Mercor at $10 billion. Each founder holds about a 22% stake, turning their hard work into personal fortunes that Forbes pegs in the billions. “It’s definitely crazy,” CEO Brendan Foody shared in a recent interview. “It feels very surreal. Obviously beyond our wildest imaginations, especially considering what we thought possible just two years ago.”

These guys aren’t your typical overnight successes. All three are Thiel Fellows—part of Peter Thiel’s program that hands out $100,000 to promising young talents who skip traditional college paths. Foody, Hiremath, and Midha met through debate teams: Hiremath and Midha connected as kids in elementary school tournaments, and Foody joined the crew in high school. Their shared passion for quick thinking and problem-solving clearly paid off.

Hiremath, for instance, spent two years at Harvard studying labor markets under the guidance of heavyweights like Larry Summers (who later invested in Mercor). But the pull of building something real was too strong, and he dropped out after his sophomore year. Now, at 22, he’s not just a CTO—he’s a billionaire reshaping how AI companies hire.

Breaking Records and Setting New Ones

This achievement puts the Mercor trio at the pinnacle of young tech wealth. They knocked 27-year-old Shayne Coplan of Polymarket off the top spot—a title he held for only 20 days after a massive investment from the New York Stock Exchange’s parent company. Before him, it was 28-year-old Alexandr Wang of Scale AI, who reigned for about 18 months. Wang’s cofounder, Lucy Guo, made waves as the youngest self-made female billionaire at 30, surpassing even Taylor Swift in that category.

At 22, Foody, Hiremath, and Midha are younger than Zuckerberg was at his billionaire debut. The only person who beat them to it is Kylie Jenner, who hit the mark at 21—but Forbes later adjusted her status after uncovering inflated numbers from her cosmetics line. Midha, born in June, is the baby of the group by a couple of months.

Mercor launched in 2023 with a focus on freelance matching, using AI avatars for interviews to streamline the process. But they quickly pivoted to data labeling—a hot commodity as AI models need massive amounts of high-quality training data. Today, they’re partnering with labs like OpenAI, and their revenue is skyrocketing: from $100 million annualized in March to $500 million by September. All three founders even landed on Forbes’ 2025 Under 30 list, and Mercor itself made the Cloud 100 shortly after.

The Cutthroat World of AI Data Labeling

The data labeling sector is booming, but it’s not without drama. Just a few months ago, Meta dropped a bombshell by acquiring 49% of Scale AI for $14 billion and snagging CEO Alexandr Wang. This move has smaller companies like Mercor pushing harder, arguing that labs want vendors without big-tech ties. Competitors are fierce too: Surge, started back in 2016, is eyeing a $30 billion raise that could make its founder Edwin Chen the youngest on the Forbes 400. Turing AI pulled in $110 million at a $2.2 billion valuation in July, while Invisible—valued at $500 million last—has become a favorite for OpenAI and Microsoft.

Competition breeds tension, and Mercor knows it firsthand. In September, Scale AI slapped them with a lawsuit, claiming trade secret theft involving over 100 confidential docs from a former exec who jumped ship. Foody brushes it off: “It’s not something we spend a whole lot of time thinking about.” In the high-stakes AI game, focus is key.

Roots in Silicon Valley, Eyes on the Future

Growing up in the Bay Area gave these founders a front-row seat to tech magic. All three come from families of software engineers—Foody’s mom handled real estate for Meta, and his dad built a graphics company in the ’90s before advising startups. As a 16-year-old, Foody even hustled by helping friends snag AWS promotions for $500 a pop.

Their backgrounds fueled early curiosity. Hiremath’s Harvard stint sparked his interest in labor economics, leading to Mercor’s innovative model. Midha’s steady hand as board chairman keeps the vision sharp. Despite the windfall, they’re all-in on the grind. “I leave the office around 10:30 p.m., on an average day, six days a week,” Foody admits. “There’s not a whole lot of time to get distracted by flashy stuff outside the business.”

No yachts or private jets yet—just laser focus on scaling Mercor. As the AI boom continues, these 22-year-olds are proving that with the right idea, timing, and teamwork, even debate club buddies can rewrite the rules of wealth and innovation.