World’s youngest tech billionaire: Interesting facts about Alexandr Wang

Becoming a billionaire before the age of 30 is rare and almost unheard of. Yet Alexandr Wang, the man behind Scale AI, has managed to do so.

By 24, Wang was crowned the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, a title that has kept him in the global spotlight as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries and geopolitics.

Here are some fascinating facts about the youngest tech billionaire that you may not know.

The youngest self-made billionaire

In 2021, at just 24 years old, Wang made history by joining the billionaire ranks through Scale AI, his data-labeling startup that fuels AI systems.

Though his fortune briefly dipped, Forbes reported his net worth at $3.2 billion in 2025, cementing his place among Silicon Valley’s elite.

From a family of physicists

Born in New Mexico in 1997, Wang grew up in a household steeped in science. Both of his Chinese immigrant parents worked as physicists for the US military, contributing to defense research at historic sites like Los Alamos.

Their influence gave him early exposure to problem-solving and scientific curiosity.

MIT dropout

Wang enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) but left after just one year at age 19.

Instead of lectures and labs, he chose the uncertainty of Silicon Valley, joining Y Combinator and focusing on Scale AI full-time.

From “fridge-cam” to billion-dollar startup

The seed for Scale AI came from a personal problem: Wang wanted to build an AI camera to catch which roommate was stealing his food.

Realising that poor data quality was holding AI back, he pivoted to solving the larger challenge of building data infrastructure for the industry.

Military deals and Meta Move

Under Wang, Scale AI secured major US defense contracts, bolstering America’s AI ambitions. 

In 2025, he stepped into a bigger stage: Meta hired him as its first-ever Chief AI Officer, investing $14.3 billion into Scale AI.

Wang now heads Meta’s Superintelligence Labs, steering the company’s global AI race.

Once shared room with Altman

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wang was roommates with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.