5 things to know about tech mogul Alexandr Wang, world’s youngest self-made billionaire

His interest in the technology eventually led him to co-found Scale AI, which specializes in data labeling, a crucial process for training artificial intelligence systems to understand and interpret human language.

The firm employs contract workers who complete diverse tasks, including summarizing news, writing haikus, and crafting stories in languages like Xhosa and Urdu, to help provide chatbots with the nuanced linguistic context necessary to function effectively.

Its valuation soared to $13.8 billion after a $1 billion funding round in May 2024. Wang owns an estimated 14% stake in the company, according to Forbes.

Here are a few more fascinating details about the young entrepreneur:

A prodigy from a scientific family

Alexandr Wang, CEO of Scale AI, arrives for a meeting with international investors in IA at the Elysee Palace as part of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris, France, February 10, 2025. Photo by Reuters

Wang's technological and scientific aptitude appears to be rooted in his upbringing. Born in 1997, he was brought up in New Mexico by physicist parents who worked on military projects, according to Prestige.

From a young age, he stood out for his talent for numbers, competing in math Olympiads and programming competitions across the U.S.

"Because of the type of work they did, my parents had a big impact on our family’s world view. That’s why I decided to become a programmer–I wanted to make a difference in this world," Wang once shared in a Ted talk.

Meeting Scale AI’s co-founder, Lucy Guo

With no work experience and a blank résumé, Wang made the bold decision to move to Silicon Valley at just 17 after graduating high school a year early. He quickly landed a job as an engineer at popular Q&A site Quora, where he crossed paths with Lucy Guo.

Guo, in addition to her technical expertise, has a reputation as a well-known socialite and a neighbor of football star David Beckham.

The two would team up in 2016 to co-found Scale AI, with Wang taking on the role of CEO and Guo leading the operations and product design teams. At the time, Wang was 19 and Guo was 21.

The idea behind Scale AI

The initial spark for Scale AI came to Wang when he was tinkering with AI during his time at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, according to El País.

He had a hunch that one of his roommates was stealing his food, so he set out to catch the culprit by developing AI algorithms that could analyze facial expressions and operate a refrigerator camera to monitor who was snacking on his groceries. They could also collect information to forecast when he would need to restock.

Though he was unable to confirm his suspicions due to the overwhelming volume of video footage, Wang realized that progress in AI would not be limited by algorithms but rather by the availability of data. Thus, the experiment sparked the idea of a platform that helps organizations unlock the value of their data.

Wang and Guo later expanded the concept into Scale AI and the former dropped out of school to launch the firm, securing early funding from Y Combinator, a startup accelerator known for launching companies like Dropbox, Twitch, and Airbnb.

Influence in Silicon Valley and beyond

Wang’s influence stretches beyond the entrepreneurial world. Known for his sharp networking skills, he has built significant ties with both Silicon Valley’s elites and U.S. lawmakers, the Financial Express reported.

The Information once described him as a "crafty opportunist," noting his ability to forge important relationships with government influencers. His works have made him a pivotal figure in the ongoing debates surrounding AI regulation and policy.

Wang has briefed U.S. Congress on the future of AI and plays a central role in shaping how the industry is perceived by regulators.

An active social media user

Unlike Guo, who cultivates a party-loving, high-energy image on social media, Wang leverages platforms to shape his public persona. He is active on X, where he shares his thoughts on a range of topics with his nearly 250,000 followers. He also maintains a blog where he reflects on his journey and offers insights for aspiring entrepreneurs.

In his posts, Wang emphasizes that maintaining an optimistic outlook is crucial to reach goals and stresses that the key to success lies in hiring employees who are genuinely invested in the company and its mission.