Lucy Guo is an American tech entrepreneur, co-founder of Scale AI (2016) and also the founder of the creator platform Passes. In April 2025, she became the youngest self-made billionaire woman in the world, according to Forbes. However, she is no longer the holder of that title as Forbes passed it to someone younger in December 2025.
Lucy Guo at a Glance
Fact | Details |
Known for | Co-founding Scale AI, founding Passes, running Backend Capital |
Age when Forbes named her a billionaire | 30 (April 2025) |
Net worth | About $1.3 billion as per Forbes (April 2025); 2026 estimates range from roughly $1.2 to $1.4 billion |
Main source of wealth | A stake of about 5 percent in Scale AI |
Education | Left Carnegie Mellon University for the Thiel Fellowship in 2014 |
Companies | Scale AI (2016), Passes (2022), Backend Capital |
How Much Money Does Lucy Guo Have?
In April 2025, Forbes estimated her fortune to be around $1.3 billion. Subsequent estimates range from around $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion in 2026, according to the information available on Forbes. These are only estimates, as her wealth is primarily held in a privately owned firm and is not audited.
She also had a 5 percent stake in the company, which she held after exiting Scale AI in 2018. At the time of the Forbes number-crunching, that stake had been worth nearly $1.2 billion. It surged in value following a $14 billion investment by Meta in the firm in June 2025, holding a 49 percent stake equivalent to a valuation of nearly $29 billion.
What is Lucy Guo's age when she was titled a Billionaire?
She was 30. Forbes put her on its list in April 2025, making her the youngest self-made woman billionaire and the only one of its six under-40 self-made billionaires to amass her wealth mainly outside the company that catapulted her to fame. The original Forbes story can be referred to here.
Is Lucy Guo Still the Youngest Self-Made Woman Billionaire?
No. She was the owner of the title until late 2025. In December 2025, Forbes reported that Luana Lopes Lara, co-founder of the prediction-market company Kalshi, had taken it at age 29. Here's Forbes' report on Lopes Lara with details about the life of the newly titled young billionaire.
Early Life: Hustling Before the Billions
Guo's parents emigrated from China, and she grew up in Fremont, California. Even as a kid, she was running small businesses, including selling Pokémon cards. She taught herself to code along the way.
She studied computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, then dropped out in 2014 to join the Thiel Fellowship, which gives young entrepreneurs $100,000 to build something instead of finishing college. Before she founded her own companies, she worked as a designer at Quora and Snapchat.
Scale AI: What She Built and Why She Left
Guo co-founded Scale AI in 2016 at age 21, together with Alexandr Wang. Initially, specialising in training data for autonomous vehicles, the company has expanded to provide high-quality labelled data for various machine learning systems, establishing itself as a prominent leader in the AI industry.
She left the company in 2018 after a disagreement with Wang. She has said they had a difference of opinion, while saying she is pleased with what Scale has achieved. Walking away with her stake intact is what turned into her fortune. Meta's investment at a later stage made Scale a central name in the AI race.
What Is Passes?
Guo founded Passes in 2022 as a monetisation platform for creators. Fans pay for personal interactions, such as chats, livestreams and messages. The platform also experimented with AI features, which fit a wider shift toward AI-powered creators that we cover in our guides to AI influencers and an AI travel influencer in Germany.
Passes has also faced scrutiny. Forbes reported in March 2025 on underage creators appearing on the platform, and a 2025 lawsuit made allegations about underage content. Passes has denied any wrongdoing.
Backend Capital and Other Ventures
Besides Passes, Guo runs Backend Capital, a venture fund she started after leaving Scale AI. She has said in interviews that she invested in many startups that went to zero, which she described as her main regret. Creators and brands that want to understand the AI market can start with our overview of SaaS influencers in Germany.
Where Does Lucy Guo Live?
For years, she was linked to Miami. She owned a condo at the One Thousand Museum tower, reported at about $6.7 million. In 2022, the homeowners' association of One Thousand Museum Tower reprimanded her after a party that drew about 120 guests along with a lemur and a giant snake. Lucy Guo is staying in Los Angeles, California currently.
Fitness: The Barry's Habit
Guo is known for her workout routine. She starts many days with a 50-minute Barry's class, a high-intensity treadmill and floor workout. In May 2023, she reported her 2400th Barry's workout. In April 2024, she posted a picture on Instagram of her completing 3,000 classes, stating, "Discipline > Sleep."
Key Takeaways
The key to Guo's success is timing and patience. She began early, exited a business she started and held on. The headline record didn't last for a long time, but the numbers behind it are real.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Lucy Guo?
An American tech entrepreneur who co-founded Scale AI (2016), Passes (a creator platform) and became a billionaire.
How much does Lucy Guo have in her bank account?
The April 2025 estimate was about $1.3 billion and the 2026 estimates are between about $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion.
What was Lucy Guo's age when she became a billionaire?
In April 2025, Forbes declared her to be the youngest self-made woman billionaire, at the age of 30.
Is Lucy Guo still the youngest self-made woman billionaire?
No. Forbes reported in December 2025 that Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara, then 29, took the title from her.
How did Lucy Guo make her money?
Mostly from the 5 percent Scale AI stake she kept after leaving in 2018, boosted by Meta's 2025 investment.
What is Passes?
A creator platform Guo started in 2022 for fans to pay for personal interactions with creators, like chats and livestreams.