Lucy Guo: The Youngest Self-Made Woman Billionaire Who Surpassed Taylor Swift
Early Life and Background
Lucy Guo, born on October 14, 1994, in the United States to Chinese immigrant parents, has emerged as a formidable force in the tech industry. Raised in Fremont, California, Guo’s early fascination with technology led her to teach herself programming during her teenage years. She monetized her skills by developing bots for online games like Neopets and selling in-game assets for profit. Her entrepreneurial spirit was evident even in elementary school, where she sold Pokémon cards and other items to classmates.
From College Dropout to Thiel Fellow
Guo briefly attended Carnegie Mellon University, studying computer science, but left in 2014 after being awarded the Thiel Fellowship, a $100,000 grant encouraging young people to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors over traditional education.
Photo: @guoforit
Co-Founding Scale AI
In 2016, Guo co-founded Scale AI with Alexandr Wang. The company specializes in providing labeled data to train AI applications and has been instrumental in supporting clients like Meta, OpenAI, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Related: Scale AI: Powering the Future of Artificial Intelligence
Related: Women in Tech: Progress, Challenges, and Trailblazers
Why She Left Scale AI
Despite her success, Guo left Scale AI in 2018 due to differences in product vision and the direction of the company. Nevertheless, she retained a significant equity stake, which contributed to her billionaire status.
Related: Who Owns ChatGPT?
Her Net Worth and Global Recognition
As of April 2025, Forbes estimates Lucy Guo’s net worth at $1.25 billion. This makes her the world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire at age 30, surpassing pop icon Taylor Swift in terms of financial achievement.
Photo: @guoforit
Launching Passes and Supporting Creators
After Scale, Guo founded Backend Capital, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups. In 2022, she launched Passes, a platform helping creators monetize their work. Passes secured a $40 million Series A funding round in 2024, with backing from notable investors like Bond and Crossbeam Ventures.
The Growth and Controversy Around Passes
Passes now supports over 900 creators and 500,000 fans. Influencers such as AGT finalist Anna DeGuzman and fitness influencer Alysia Magen have found success on the platform. However, it has faced significant controversy. In 2024, it was reported that a 12-year-old was allowed to sell bikini photos via Passes after being banned on another platform. In 2025, a lawsuit alleged the platform distributed child sexual abuse material of a creator before she turned 18.
Photo: @guoforit
Conclusion
Lucy Guo isn't just a tech founder with a billion-dollar valuation, she's a symbol of what's possible when bold ambition meets relentless execution. Her journey from coding as a kid to becoming the youngest self-made woman billionaire is more than impressive.
In an industry still dominated by men, Guo’s rise serves as a powerful reminder that women not only belong in tech and business, but can lead and redefine them. Her story resonates deeply with anyone grinding through the startup world, especially young women dreaming big.
