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Lucy Guo has officially replaced Taylor Swift as the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire — and it’s all thanks to her stake in Scale AI, a San Francisco-based artificial intelligence startup that has become a powerhouse in the rapidly evolving tech industry.

At just 30 years old, Guo is worth an estimated $1.3 billion, according to Forbes, the result of her early investment and co-founding of Scale AI, which is reportedly raising funds at a valuation of $25 billion.

What Is Scale AI and What Does It Do?

https://youtu.be/Qf2FOotQAc4

Founded in 2016 by Lucy Guo and Alexandr Wang, Scale AI specializes in data labeling and annotation services used to train artificial intelligence systems.

These services are crucial for AI applications, including autonomous vehicles, computer vision, and natural language processing.

The startup’s client list includes OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, and has raised over $600 million from major investors like Accel, Founders Fund, and Index Ventures.

“You can just create a startup out of like, nothing,” Guo said, reflecting on her early days hacking and competing in coding challenges during college.

Scale AI's explosive growth mirrors the broader AI boom that is transforming Silicon Valley and global tech markets. Read more on Scale AI’s business model.

From Carnegie Mellon to Billionaire Status

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Guo, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, dropped out of Carnegie Mellon University after receiving the Thiel Fellowship, which awards $200,000 to young entrepreneurs who skip or leave college to build businesses.

“They stopped talking to me for a while,” Guo said of her parents’ reaction. “They were like, ‘You don’t appreciate all the sacrifices we did for you.’”

Despite their early disappointment, her decision to pursue tech entrepreneurship has since led to a family reconciliation and a spot among the wealthiest young innovators.

With that hefty valuation Lucy Guo’s co-founder, Alexander Wang became the youngest self-made billionaire in 2021 at the age of 24. 

When she left Scale AI, Guo retained a 5% stake in the company, and this year Guo replaced Taylor Swift as the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire. 

Leaving Scale AI and Launching New Ventures

Guo left Scale AI in 2018 after tensions with co-founder Wang but kept her 5% stake, a move that solidified her place on the billionaires list.

Since then, she’s launched Backend Capital, a venture fund that’s invested in over 100 startups, and founded HF0, an accelerator for AI businesses.