Indian-American Duo Among World’s Youngest Self-Made Billionaires After AI Startup Valuation Soars to $10 Billion
In a landmark achievement for the global tech industry, three 22-year-old entrepreneurs—Brendan Foody, Adarsh Hiremath, and Surya Midha—have become the world’s youngest self-made billionaires, thanks to the explosive growth of their AI recruiting startup, Mercor. The company recently secured $350 million in new funding, catapulting its valuation to $10 billion and making headlines across Silicon Valley and beyond.
From Debate Team to Billion-Dollar Startup
The trio’s journey began at Bellarmine College Preparatory, an all-boys Jesuit school in San Jose, California, where Foody, Hiremath, and Midha first met as members of the school’s highly competitive debate team. Their shared passion for debate, rapid-fire analysis, and persuasive logic laid the foundation for their future entrepreneurial success.
“We were always arguing about the future of work,” Foody recalled in a recent interview with Forbes. “Those late-night debate sessions taught us how to think critically and communicate effectively—skills that are invaluable in building a company.”
Indian-American Roots and Early Success
Two of the co-founders, Surya Midha and Adarsh Hiremath, are Indian Americans. Midha, whose parents immigrated from New Delhi, was born in Mountain View and raised in San Jose. Hiremath, whose parents emigrated from Karnataka, also attended Bellarmine before enrolling at Harvard University to study computer science. After two years, he dropped out to focus on Mercor full-time, following in the footsteps of other young college-exit founders like Mark Zuckerberg.
Their early achievements in debate were no less impressive. Midha and Hiremath became the first ever to win all three national policy debate tournaments in a single year, a feat that foreshadowed their future success in the business world.
Building Mercor: Bridging the Talent Gap with AI
Mercor, founded in 2021 while the founders were still in college, is an AI-powered recruiting platform that connects leading AI laboratories with thousands of skilled human experts. The company specializes in human-in-the-loop processes, helping refine machine learning models by leveraging human expertise.
“Our initial idea was simple: create an online freelance marketplace to bridge the talent gap by connecting skilled software engineers in India with global AI labs,” said Foody. “But as AI demand exploded, so did our business model. We quickly realized that there was a massive opportunity in automating and optimizing the hiring process for AI talent.”
Today, Mercor’s network includes more than 30,000 contractors who earn an average of $85 per hour, collectively receiving over $1.5 million in payments each day. The company’s rapid growth has made it one of the fastest-growing players in the human-in-the-loop AI sector.
Record-Breaking Valuation and Billionaire Status
The $10 billion valuation gives each of the three founders, who hold roughly 22 percent stakes, a net worth exceeding $2 billion. This milestone dethrones Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, who became a billionaire at age 23, making Foody, Hiremath, and Midha the youngest self-made billionaires in history.
“It’s surreal to think that we’ve achieved this at such a young age,” said Midha. “But we’re just getting started. The future of work is being reshaped by AI, and we want to be at the forefront of that transformation.”
Investor Confidence and Future Prospects
Investors believe that hiring automation represents one of the next trillion-dollar opportunities in enterprise AI, explaining the staggering valuation. The latest funding round was led by Felicis Ventures, with participation from several other top-tier investors.
“The Mercor team has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to identify and capitalize on emerging trends in AI,” said a partner at Felicis Ventures. “Their platform is not just a recruiting tool—it’s a critical infrastructure for the next generation of AI innovation.”
Education and Entrepreneurship
The founders’ educational backgrounds reflect a blend of elite institutions and unconventional paths. Foody attended Georgetown for economics, Hiremath studied computer science at Harvard, and Midha pursued foreign service at Georgetown before they were reunited by the startup siren call of Silicon Valley.
Their journey underscores the growing trend of young entrepreneurs dropping out of college to pursue their passions, a path that has produced some of the most successful tech founders in history.
Looking Ahead
As Mercor continues to expand its reach and impact, the founders remain committed to their mission of democratizing access to AI talent and driving innovation in the industry. Their success story serves as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs around the world, particularly those from immigrant backgrounds who are making their mark in the global tech landscape.
“We want to show that with the right mindset and determination, anyone can achieve greatness,” said Hiremath. “The future is bright, and we’re excited to be part of it.”