Lucy Guo Becomes Youngest Self-Made Female Billionaire at 30

Lucy Guo has officially become the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world at the age of 30.

Her wealth surged following a new tender offer that valued Scale AI — the company she co-founded — at $25 billion, marking an 80% increase from its May 2024 valuation.

Although Guo exited the company in 2018, her nearly 5% stake has now elevated her net worth to $1.25 billion, most of which remains, as she puts it, “on paper.”

Early Beginnings and Scale AI’s Rise

Guo co-founded Scale AI in 2016 with Alexandr Wang, when she was 21 and Wang was 19. Based in San Francisco, the company plays a critical role in the AI sector by labeling data used to train artificial intelligence systems.

Though she left Scale AI just two years later, Guo retained a significant stake, now valued at nearly $1.2 billion. “I don’t really think about it much, it’s a bit wild. Too bad it’s all on paper haha,” she told Fortune.

In addition to her stake in Scale AI, Guo’s net worth also includes assets from her other ventures, most notably her newer platform, Passes.

Combined, these holdings push her total estimated wealth to $1.25 billion. Guo is now one of only six self-made female billionaires under 40 globally and is uniquely the only one to have gained most of her fortune from a company she no longer operates.

Surpassing Taylor Swift

Until Guo’s rise, Taylor Swift held the title of the youngest self-made female billionaire. The pop icon reached billionaire status in October 2023 at age 33, propelled by her “Eras Tour,” which amassed $780 million in ticket sales.

By late 2024, Swift’s net worth stood at $1.6 billion. What sets her apart from other music industry billionaires is that her wealth comes solely from her music and performances — not from business ventures or endorsements.

This week, Forbes updated its rankings, naming Guo the new youngest self-made female billionaire, moving Swift — now 35 — to second place in this category.

Lucy Guo’s Career Journey

Guo’s background is rooted in technology. Born to Chinese immigrant parents and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she began coding in middle school.

She studied computer science and human-computer interaction at Carnegie Mellon University before dropping out to join the Thiel Fellowship, a program backed by billionaire Peter Thiel that supports young entrepreneurs.

This move aligned her with other notable fellows like OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal.

Before launching Scale AI, Guo worked as a product designer at Quora, where she met future co-founder Wang. She later joined Snapchat before venturing out to start Scale AI.

In 2018, Guo’s time at the company came to an end after a disagreement with Wang, who reportedly fired her. Reflecting on that period, she stated, “We had a difference of opinion but I am proud of what Scale AI has accomplished.”

New Ventures and Investments

Following her departure from Scale AI, Guo continued to make strides in the startup world. She founded Backend Capital, a venture capital firm supporting early-stage startups.

Notably, the firm made a six-figure investment in Ramp, a financial software company, in 2020. By 2022, she launched Passes, a platform similar to Patreon or OnlyFans.

Designed to help creators and celebrities monetise fan engagement through exclusive content, Passes has attracted big names like gymnast Olivia Dunne, NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, and DJ Kygo.

Recent Controversy

Despite her achievements, Guo recently found herself at the center of controversy. Her startup Passes was accused of hosting child sexual assault material.

A company spokesperson responded, stating, “Passes refutes any claims that it approved or condoned the posting of underage explicit content on its platform. Any effort to attribute alleged misconduct of third parties to Passes is baseless and nothing more than an effort to entangle Passes and its founder, Lucy Guo, in the lawsuit.”

A Billionaire Beyond the Boardroom

Guo’s ascent to billionaire status is remarkable not just for her age but for how she achieved it.

Unlike many entrepreneurs who remain tied to their founding companies, Guo stepped away from Scale AI years ago yet continues to reap the financial rewards.

With ventures like Backend Capital and Passes, she has built a diversified portfolio that reflects her long-standing passion for technology and innovation.

Her journey from coding in middle school to becoming a billionaire by 30 places Lucy Guo in a league of her own — joining, and now surpassing, even global superstars like Taylor Swift in the race of wealth and influence.