While many Gen Zers are struggling to land entry-level jobs thanks to AI, the same technology is also fueling a new wave of young billionaires. This year, the number of self-made billionaires under 30 hit an all-time high, as entrepreneurial young people have turned growing up with smartphones into billion-dollar startups.
In 2025, there were more self-made billionaires in their 20s than ever before—about 13 people higher than from a previous record of 7—according to an analysis from Forbes.
And most have experienced a wealth surge as of late; about 11 of the 13 newly initiated ultra-wealthy became billionaires within the last three months, including the likes of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, the cofounder of vibe coding startup Loveable, Fabian Hedin, and AI entrepreneur Arvid Lunnemark.
The majority of these young and ultra-wealthy founders made their wealth by jumping on the AI industry while it’s hot. For example, 25-year-old Sualeh Asif found success as the cofounder of company Anysphere—the team behind popular $29.3 billion AI editing tool Cursor.
Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha, both just 22, cofounded Mercor: an AI-powered recruiting startup helping connect talent with Silicon Valley’s biggest AI labs.
Of the 11 young entrepreneurs who became billionaires within the last few months, eight saw their fortunes boom through their AI innovations.
How the youngest female self-made billionaire under 30 earned her wealth
One of the 11 entrepreneurs under 30 who stepped into newfound wealth late this year was Luana Lopes Lara: the world’s youngest female self-made billionaire ever.
Earlier this month, Lopes Lara saw her fortune skyrocket to $1.3 billion after her prediction market startup, Kalshi, hit an eye-watering $11 billion valuation. But before making her Wall Street debut, the young entrepreneur was on a different life path.
The Brazilian-born entrepreneur was once training to be a professional ballerina in Rio. After working for nine months as a professional dancer in Austria, she gave up the grueling career, and pivoted to a different dream: becoming the next Steve Jobs.
While studying engineering at MIT, Lopes Lara spent her summers working as an intern at Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater Associates and Ken Griffin’s Citadel Securities. But something clicked when the founder took up a gig at Five Rings Capital, alongside fellow MIT student Tarek Mansour. During this internship, the duo bonded over a shared vision for a prediction market company that would allow users to bet on the outcomes of popular sporting events, elections, and current events.
The entrepreneurs went into business together, and after a successful Y Combinator pitch just a year later, their platform Kalshi was born. In 2020, after receiving Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approval, it became the first federally regulated prediction market platform in business. Earlier this month, Kalshi raised $1 billion, achieving a $11 billion valuation and propelling Lopes Lara and Mansour—who each own around 12% of the company—into the exclusive billionaire club.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
