From $10 Shein outfits to a $30M mansion: How world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire Lucy Guo spends money

"I'm frugal at some things and I spend more on other things," Guo, 30, told CNBC.

She often looks for discounts, ordering buy-one-get-one-free meals on Uber Eats, and said she once booked and later canceled flights simply to eat for free at the aiport lounge. Living near the airport, she would ride her electric skateboard to access the perk and told Fortune that she then reduced her spending to "near $0 per month."

She continues to ride UberX, compares food prices before buying, and shops mainly for $10 clothing from fast fashion brand Shein, Entrepreneur reported. While she enjoys Michelin-star restaurants, she can also eat cheaply at McDonald’s, she said. "I was living a phenomenal lifestyle while spending no money."

Her net worth surged in April, according to Forbes, after Scale AI, the data-labeling startup she co-founded, reached a $25 billion valuation through a deal with Meta. Although she left the company in 2018, her nearly 5% stake is now valued at $1.25 billion. She currently leads Passes, a content creator monetization platform she founded in 2022.

World's youngest self-made woman billionaire Lucy Guo. Photo courtesy of Guo's Instagram

Raised in a frugal household by two Chinese immigrant electrical engineers, Guo began making money as a child by selling Pokémon cards and later took on odd jobs as a teenager. She earned her first million in high school but lost it soon after. Her parents’ frugal mindset stayed with her even as she made millions, and she continued to live "very cheaply" until she had accumulated $10 million.

At times, she indulged in big purchases, including a $500,000 Audemars Piguet Tourbillon watch set with white baguette diamonds and a rare vintage rose Ferrari.

While she once bought a $75,000 property near Las Vegas airport to keep using the free meal trick, Guo also secured a $29.5 million Hollywood Hills mansion, down from its original $44 million price, which she called a "great deal." She additionally owns a $6.7 million Florida condo purchased in 2021 and a $4.2 million farmhouse-style Los Angeles home bought in 2024, according to CNBC.

She sometimes spends on comfort, such as traveling by private jet to skip airport lines, but said many purchases are more about fulfilling personal wishes than displaying wealth.

Guo describes herself as a "minimalist" and said she identifies with the quiet luxury trend. She told Fortune that in her view, millionaires often flaunt wealth, whereas billionaires do not, and said most billionaires dress casually because they no longer feel the need to impress.

"And I think that’s kind of how I like feel, where I’m past that hump. I don’t really have to prove myself to anyone."

For aspiring millionaires, she advised: "Be frugal and always live below your means." She cautioned against inflating lifestyles as income rises, and emphasized that the more people save, the more they can invest, which compounds over the years.