The tech industry has created numerous billionaires in a rapidly evolving digital era. Forget about those over 50 like Bill Gates, Jack Ma, and Jeff Bezos. A new generation of technology billionaires is taking up the scene and shaking global finance. A tech enthusiast myself, I feel compelled to introduce to you the world’s youngest technology billionaires. They say sharing is caring. Let’s inspire ourselves.
1. Evan Spiegel – Snapchat’s Visionary
Born: 1990
Company: Snap, Inc.
Net worth: $2.7B (Forbes)
Nationality: American
Our list of the top 10 youngest technology billionaires opens with a familiar name: Evan Spiegel.
In 2011, Spiegel alongside Bobby Murphy co-founded Snapchat. Snapchat’s success skyrocketed as the company revolutionized communication. Under Spiegel’s leadership, the company has transformed social media through its ephemeral and interactive features.
By 2021, Spiegel’s net worth had surpassed the billion-dollar mark. With the breakthrough, Spiegel emerged as one of the youngest technology billionaires globally. His entrepreneurial journey demonstrates that innovative ideas when executed with precision, can lead to unimaginable prosperity.
2. Patrick Collison – Stripe’s Fintech Maestro
Born: 1988
Company: Stripe, Inc.
Net worth: $5.5B (CEO World)
Nationality: Irish
Next up is Patrick Collison, an Irish entrepreneur born in 1988. Collision co-founded the online payment processing company, Stripe, with his brother John Collison.
By utilizing their programming skills and a profound understanding of the financial landscape, the Collison brothers turned Stripe into a tech juggernaut. Stripe quickly became the backbone of the e-commerce world, promising to simplify payment transactions for businesses and individuals alike.
3. Austin Russell – Pioneering the Autonomous Revolution
Born: 1995
Company: Luminar Technologies
Net worth: $1.6B (CNBC MakeIt)
Nationality: American
Imagine being a billionaire before even reaching the age of 30. To Austin Russell, that was a reality; he did just that!
Born in 1995, Russell founded Luminar Technologies in 2012, when he was just 17 years old. Luminar Technologies is an autonomous vehicle sensor and software company. The emerging tech giant specializes in providing crucial technology for the development of self-driving cars.
With his innovative approach to lidar technology, Russell’s company became a key player in the autonomous revolution.
He first appeared in the category of the world’s youngest billionaires in 2021. His story proves that age is no barrier when you have a groundbreaking vision and a passionate drive.
4. Brian Wong – The Mobile Advertising Prodigy
Born: 1991
Company: Kiip
Net worth: $9.89B (WallMine)
Nationality: Canadian, Hong Kong (Wikipedia)
Brian Wong is among the world’s youngest technology billionaires from outside the U.S. We captured his story in our post of the world’s youngest technology billionaires who are not Americans.
5. Brian Chesky – Redefining Hospitality with Airbnb
Born: 1981
Company: Airbnb
Net worth: $9.9B (Bloomberg)
Nationality: American
Our list of the top 10 world’s youngest technology billionaires is incomplete if we skip Brian Chesky. Born in 1981, Chesky is the CEO of Airbnb. He co-founded the company, alongside Nathan Blecharczyk, and Joe Gebbia in 2008.
Chesky’s innovative approach to travel and accommodation transformed the way people experience new places. His company, Airbnb, disrupted the traditional hospitality industry by providing a platform for individuals to list and book unique accommodations worldwide.
What I learn from Brian Chesky’s entrepreneurial journey is that identifying unmet needs and leveraging technology to create groundbreaking solutions can lead to multibillionaire success in no time.
6. Bobby Murphy – The Quiet Force Behind Snapchat
Born: 1988
Company: Snap, Inc.
Net worth: $2.8B (as of Q1, 2023, Forbs)
Nationality: American
Next on our list of the world’s youngest technology billionaires is Bobby Murphy. Murphy is the co-founder of Snapchat alongside Evan Spiegel. He played a pivotal role in the development of the technology and features that make Snapchat a great platform.
Thanks to his expertise in programming and engineering, which became instrumental in Snapchat’s success.
The financial breakthrough of this young self-made billionaire highlights the importance of complementary skill sets in building thriving tech companies.
7. John Collison – Powering the Future of Payments with Stripe
Born: 1990
Company: Stripe
Net worth: $11.4B (as of July 2023, Business Insider)
Nationality: Irish
John Collison is another youngster listed among the world’s youngest technology billionaires. At 30 years of age, he is already gaining recognition and hitting news headlines from every corner. Here is more about Collison.
8. Melanie Perkins – Empowering Creativity with Canva
Born: 1987
Company: Canva
Net worth: $5.27B ( As of mid-2023, Sprinter.com.au)
Nationality: Australian
The 35-year-old Melanie Perkins has an estimated worth of $5.27B according to sources. She launched the online graphic design platform, Canva, in 2013.
Her story is captured in this post, but you may also want to check lessons from technology entrepreneurs.
9. Sam Bankman-Fried – Revolutionizing Cryptocurrency Trading
Born: 1992
Company: FTX
Net worth: 26.5B (Forbes)
Nationality: American
Sam Bankman-Fried, born in 1992, is a crypto wunderkind and the founder of FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange and trading platform. He is known for his background in quantitative trading and exceptional cryptocurrency strategies.
FTX gained popularity in 2021 due to its innovative features and derivatives offerings. The platform was leading cryptocurrency exchanges, and Sam Bankman-Fried’s net worth surged. He quickly became one of the youngest billionaires in the crypto space.
Although FTX would later collapse for controversial reasons, Bankman-Fried’s success remains inspirational. His story underscores the immense opportunities presented by the rapidly evolving world of digital currencies.
10. Alexandr Wang – Scale AI: Empowering Artificial Intelligence
Born: 1997
Company: Scale, AI
Net worth: 1.1B (Stackstashers)
Nationality: Chinese (Chinese-American, read more here)
Alexandr Wang, born in 1997, a remarkable young entrepreneur, is the founder of Scale AI. At just 19 years old, Wang founded Scale to provide high-quality training data for AI and ML models.
In less than a decade, Scale is riding high. Its AI services have captured the attention of both small and large enterprises, making Wang one of the world’s technology billionaires.
Wrap up
The stories of these young technology billionaires showcase the boundless potential of the tech industry and the transformative power of innovation. Despite their youth, these visionaries fearlessly tackled challenges. Their creative thinking continues to disrupt traditional norms; changing how people and businesses interact with technology.
