The AI Ascent: Mercor’s 22-Year-Old Founders Become World's Youngest Billionaires

                                               

A New Record in Tech Wealth

The rise of San Francisco-based AI-powered recruitment startup Mercor has led to a major milestone: the creation of the world’s youngest self-made billionaires. Its three 22-year-old co-founders have officially surpassed the record previously held by Mark Zuckerberg, who achieved billionaire status at age 23.

                                                 

$10 Billion Valuation: The Funding Milestone

Mercor recently solidified its meteoric growth by successfully closing a $350 million funding round. This substantial investment was spearheaded by Felicis Ventures, with notable participation from firms including Benchmark, General Catalyst, and Robinhood. This deal catapulted Mercor's valuation to a staggering $10 billion.

According to Forbes, this valuation instantly propelled CEO Brendan Foody, CTO Adarsh Hiremath, and Chairman Surya Midha into billionaire territory, as each co-founder holds approximately 22% equity in the company.            

The Team and the Thiel Fellowship

The co-founding team includes two Indian-origin Americans, Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha, who were high school debate teammates in the Bay Area. CEO Brendan Foody described the achievement as "surreal... far beyond anything we could have imagined two years ago."

All three entrepreneurs are recipients of the prestigious Thiel Fellowship, Peter Thiel’s $100,000 grant designed to support young founders who choose to leave college and dedicate themselves to building companies. Hiremath, a Harvard dropout, reflected on his decision, noting, "If I weren’t working on Mercor, I’d have just graduated this year. Everything changed so fast.”

The Pivot to AI Model Training

Founded in 2023, Mercor initially focused on using AI-driven interviews to match Indian software developers with U.S. companies. The company later executed a lucrative pivot into the data labeling space, where it connects specialized contractors—ranging from PhDs to lawyers—with top AI research labs, including major players like OpenAI, to fuel their model training efforts.

Their story marks a defining moment for the next generation of entrepreneurs, setting a new and astonishing record in the technology sector’s billionaire ranks.