The rapid rise of technology has made access to knowledge easier than ever before. Leveraging this advantage, many talented young individuals are introducing innovative products and services to the market.
Several of them are achieving remarkable success at a very early age.
According to the latest Forbes billionaire list, 35 individuals under the age of 30 have made it to the coveted rankings. Among them is Indian-origin American entrepreneur Surya Midha, who has emerged as the youngest self-made billionaire in the world.
Youngest billionaire, breaking Zuckerberg's record
Midha has achieved what was once held by Mark Zuckerberg, who became a billionaire at the age of 23 in 2008. Surya Midha, however, surpassed this milestone even earlier, at just 22 years old, making him the youngest self-made billionaire globally.
As per Forbes, his net worth is estimated to be around USD 2.2 billion.
The startup behind his success: Mercor
Midha co-founded the AI hiring startup Mercor along with his two friends, Brendan Foody and Adarsh Hiremath. The company has quickly gained traction in the tech world.
By the end of last year, Mercor raised USD 350 million at a valuation of USD 10 billion. Within the company, Foody serves as CEO, Hiremath as CTO, while Midha holds the position of Board Chairman.
How the idea took shape
Surya Midha was born in Mountain View and grew up in San Jose, California. His parents had moved to the United States from Delhi.
During his school years, Midha gained recognition as a national debate champion, known for his strong communication and analytical abilities.
He later pursued higher education in Foreign Studies at Georgetown University. Around the same time, Hiremath was studying at Harvard University, while Foody was studying Economics at Georgetown.
Midha and Hiremath also excelled in policy debates, winning three national tournaments together, highlighting their sharp intellect and teamwork long before launching their startup.
How Mercor works
Mercor is an AI-powered recruitment platform that aims to modernise hiring. According to Forbes, the platform uses an AI avatar to conduct interviews with applicants. Based on their performance, candidates are then matched with companies looking for talent.
The platform is already being used by several major technology companies to recruit engineers and researchers, making it a key player in the evolving AI-driven hiring ecosystem.