š„ College Dropout Beats Taylor Swift to Become Youngest Female Billionaire! š±šø
- MediaFx
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
TL;DR:Ā Lucy Guo, a 30-year-old techie who dropped out of college, has become the world's youngest self-made female billionaire, overtaking Taylor Swift.š° She co-founded Scale AI, which is now valued at $25 billion, and holds a 5% stake worth around $1.2 billion.š¼ Despite being ousted from the company, her stake catapulted her net worth.š She also founded Passes, a content platform, which is facing legal challenges.āļø Guo's journey from coding as a kid to billionaire status is inspiring and controversial.š„
š From Coding Kid to Billionaire Boss š§ š»
Lucy Guo started coding in second grade and was making money by selling virtual goods in online games like Neopets during her teens.š®šø She enrolled at Carnegie Mellon University but dropped out in 2014 after receiving the $100,000 Thiel Fellowship, which encourages young entrepreneurs to build companies instead of completing college.šš«
Guo interned at Facebook and became Snapchat's first female designer before joining Quora, where she met Alexandr Wang. Together, they co-founded Scale AI in 2016, a company specializing in data labeling for AI systems.š¤š¤
š¼ Scale AI: The Billion-Dollar Baby š¢š°
Scale AI, co-founded by Guo and Wang, is now valued at $25 billion.š Guo was ousted from the company in 2018 due to disagreements but retained a 5% stake, now worth approximately $1.2 billion.š¼ Despite her departure, this stake has made her the youngest self-made female billionaire.š
š± Passes: The Content Platform with Controversy š„āļø
After leaving Scale AI, Guo founded Passes in 2022, a content creation platform positioned as a family-friendly alternative to OnlyFans.šø The platform allows creators to keep up to 90% of their earnings and raised $40 million in funding by 2024.šµ However, Passes is currently facing a class-action lawsuit alleging that it failed to prevent the circulation of explicit content involving minors.šØ Guo denies the allegations and has filed to dismiss the suit.š”ļø
š Lifestyle: Work Hard, Party Harder šš
Guo leads a high-octane lifestyle, splitting her time between a luxury apartment in Miami and a house in Los Angeles.š“ She's known for commuting via electric skateboard or being chauffeured by her assistant, attending techno raves, and taking multiple Barryās Bootcamp classes daily.šļøāāļø Despite her wealth, she claims to work at least eight hours even during vacations.š
š§ MediaFx Opinion: A Tale of Capitalist Triumph and Its Discontents š§āļø
Lucy Guo's story is a testament to the possibilities within the capitalist framework, where innovation and entrepreneurship can lead to immense wealth.š” However, it also highlights the systemic issues of wealth concentration and the challenges faced by women in tech.š©āš» The controversies surrounding Passes raise questions about the responsibilities of tech entrepreneurs in safeguarding users, especially minors.š As we celebrate such success stories, it's crucial to advocate for equitable practices and regulations that protect the vulnerable and ensure that technological advancements benefit all sections of society.ā
