^{Photo: CNBC}

Lucy Guo’s journey to becoming a billionaire wasn’t a stroke of luck—it was built on a foundation of early ambition, relentless experimentation, and a willingness to bet on herself when the safer path would have been to play it safe. At just 30 years old, Guo has been named by Forbes as the youngest self-made billionaire, with an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion.

Her first major success came as the co-founder of Scale AI, an artificial intelligence data-labeling company that was later acquired by Meta in a deal valuing the firm at $25 billion. But Guo didn’t stop there. She went on to launch Passes, a platform helping creators monetize their content, in 2022, and previously founded Backend Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups across the tech sector.

Early Life and Family Influence

Born and raised in Fremont, California, Guo grew up in a household shaped by her Chinese immigrant parents. Her family lived frugally, but her parents placed enormous value on education and financial independence.

“They pushed me into academics, competitions, and always emphasized the importance of money,” Guo has shared. She spent her childhood in Abacus contests and math programs, laying the groundwork for her later focus on computer science.

Despite excelling in school, Guo broke away from expectations when she dropped out of Carnegie Mellon University—just a year shy of her degree in computer science and human-computer interaction. The decision upset her parents, who had sacrificed everything to immigrate for better opportunities. But Guo saw a bigger bet: she accepted the Thiel Fellowship, a program funded by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, offering $200,000 to young entrepreneurs to build companies instead of finishing college.

The Playground Hustler

Long before Silicon Valley, Guo was already experimenting with ways to earn money. As a child, she traded Pokémon cards, sold colored pencils, and looked for any opportunity to create value—even on the school playground.

Her parents, strict with discipline, would sometimes confiscate her money. To protect her earnings, Guo opened a PayPal account in elementary school and got her own debit card from Home Depot—a move that showed both independence and foresight.

By middle school, her entrepreneurial instincts had shifted online. She sold rare Neopets characters and in-game currencies for cash, and later built bots to automate games and sell them to other players. From there, she created websites with Google AdSense, then developed marketing tools that gave her a steady stream of income as a teenager.

Technology, Gaming, and the Spark of Innovation

Guo credits her love of video games as the spark that drove her into computer science. Spending long hours at the computer wasn’t just entertainment—it became a training ground for her technical and problem-solving skills.

“Video games make you ask, ‘How do I get better at this? How do I build my own version?’” she explained in an interview. “If I had been more social growing up, maybe my life would have looked different. But being on the computer gave me the space to explore and create.”

Building Billion-Dollar Ventures

Guo’s career trajectory has been defined by bold moves. With Scale AI’s explosive growth and eventual sale, she secured her place among the elite of Silicon Valley. Today, her focus is on Passes, which competes in the booming creator economy by offering creators more control and higher earnings from their content. Meanwhile, Backend Ventures reflects her commitment to giving early-stage founders the support she once sought herself.

Challenges and Controversies

Like many high-profile entrepreneurs, Guo has also faced challenges. Recently, Passes was hit with a class action lawsuit alleging the distribution of harmful material on its platform. Guo and her legal team have firmly rejected the claims, calling them “baseless” and noting that the lawsuit followed an alleged $15 million payment demand.

Legal battles aside, Guo remains focused on scaling her businesses and continuing to invest in the next wave of technology.

A Modern Blueprint for Entrepreneurship

Lucy Guo’s story resonates because it bridges both grit and vision. From selling Pokémon cards on a playground to building billion-dollar companies, she has shown how early hustle, a passion for technology, and a willingness to take risks can redefine what’s possible in business.

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Guo’s path underscores a clear lesson: innovation often comes from unconventional choices—and sometimes, dropping out of school or selling digital pets online can be the first step toward building the future.