The Rise of Lucy Guo: From Pokémon Cards to Self-Made Billionaire

Lucy Guo, the youngest self-made billionaire at 30, dropped out of Carnegie Mellon University to pursue her entrepreneurial ventures. She co-founded Scale AI, which was acquired by Meta for $25 billion, and launched Passes, a content creator monetization platform. Guo started making money at a young age by selling Pokémon cards and later developed a passion for coding, creating websites and internet marketing tools. Her parents, Chinese immigrants, sacrificed everything to give their children a better future, but her decision to leave college was difficult for them.

Lucy Guo, at the age of 30, has made history as the youngest self-made billionaire, a testament to her entrepreneurial spirit and early hustle. Born to Chinese immigrant parents, Guo's upbringing instilled in her the value of both education and financial independence. Despite her parents' disappointment, she dropped out of Carnegie Mellon University after two years to pursue the Thiel Fellowship and found her first venture, Scale AI [1].

Scale AI, an AI data-labeling firm, was acquired by Meta for a staggering $25 billion, propelling Guo to billionaire status. This success was not her first foray into the tech industry. Growing up in Fremont, California, Guo displayed an early entrepreneurial streak, selling Pokémon cards and later developing a passion for coding and creating websites and internet marketing tools [1].

Guo's latest venture is Passes, a content creator monetization platform launched in 2022. Backed by $50 million in funding, Passes allows influencers to connect directly with their fans and monetize their content. The platform competes in a crowded field with established competitors like Patreon and OnlyFans [2]. Despite legal challenges and competition, Passes has paid out tens of millions of dollars to creators and continues to grow, raising $40 million in February 2024 [2].

Guo's journey underscores the potential of early entrepreneurship and the value of taking calculated risks. Her story serves as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs and investors alike, highlighting the importance of innovation, resilience, and a willingness to adapt in the ever-evolving tech landscape.

References:
[1] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/worlds-youngest-self-made-woman-billionaire-lucy-guo-says-she-dropped-out-of-computer-science-in-college-because-she-wanted-to-/articleshow/123642114.cms
[2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-29/ai-billionaire-lucy-guo-pushes-into-crowded-social-media-field