Taylor Swift has been unseated as the world’s youngest self-made billionaire by 30-year-old co-founder of Scale AI Lucy Guo.
Swift held the title for two years when she claimed it in 2023 when Forbes first reported the pop superstar’s billionaire status.
Alongside then-19-year-old Alexandr Wang, Guo co-founded the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company Scale AI in 2016 when she was 21 years old. Wang was CEO, while Guo ran the operations and product design teams, and both made Forbes‘ 30 Under 30 list in 2018. But Wang allegedly fired Guo that same year when they disagreed on how to run the company.
After Business Insider first reported that the company is seeking valuation as high as $25 billion in a potential tender offer, Guo still owns an estimated stake of 5 percent of Scale AI, which is now worth nearly $1.2 billion. Considering her stake in Scale AI and her holding in her second startup, Passes, Forbes estimates Guo is worth $1.25 billion.
Under the age of 40, Guo is now one of only six self-made women billionaires on the planet. Swift, 35, who has a $1.6 billion net worth, and Rihanna, 37, who has a $1.4 billion net worth are among the six extraordinary self-made women billionaires.
Swift surpassed Rihanna as the world’s richest female musician last October. Forbes reported that Swift’s earnings from her international Eras Tour and the value of her music catalog made her a billionaire, becoming the first musician to reach that rank primarily based on her songs and live performance. Her fortune includes $600 million from touring and royalties, $600 million from her catalog and $125 million in real estate holdings
