Lucy Guo, a 30-year-old tech entrepreneur, has recently surpassed Taylor Swift as the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world. However, it seems that she isn’t particularly excited about the title.
“It feels like the title changes every year,” Guo remarked about the Forbes rankings. “Honestly, it doesn’t mean much to me.”
Her billion-dollar wealth stems from Scale AI, a startup she co-founded with Alexandr Wang in 2016 when she was just 21.
So yes, she’s a billionaire now, but perhaps she doesn’t quite feel like one.
Her motto? “Destroy action and keep the rich.”
Despite her entrepreneurial success, Guo works long hours—often around 90 hours a week—with a schedule that kicks off at 5:30 AM and wraps up late at night. Many of her peers, particularly other young immigrants in tech, admire her relentless work ethic.
Fast-paced and focused, she admits, “I don’t watch TV or scroll through TikTok. It saves me a lot of extra time. While I’m always busy, many people spend too much time relaxing, but I fill my schedule with enjoyable activities, like dining with friends at 10 PM.”
Guo might not indulge in the typical billionaire lifestyle of luxury brands and high-profile events, but she has no interest in skating, skydiving, or collecting stuffed toys either.
Her latest venture is Passes, a platform aimed at creators that she launched in 2022. It’s already generating significant revenue for influencers, podcasters, and even astrologers.
“Passes serves as a comprehensive business platform for creators,” Guo explained. “They can sell products, subscriptions, unreleased content, and more—all in one place.”
The idea struck her during the pandemic while overseeing a startup incubator. She realized that true power lies in ownership and has since partnered with notable creators like Logan Paul and Kylie Jenner.
“Creators are unique. They can sell anything without the usual customer acquisition costs that others face,” she remarked. “They have the potential for significant growth, but often they’re mismanaged. We aim to help them achieve fairness and generational wealth.”
With Passes, Guo is working to empower creators, offering tools that allow them to monetize their brands effectively. They maintain 90% of their profits, a significant leap from previous models.
“We transitioned from creators keeping 80% to 100% of their income,” she expressed with pride. “Many creators say this platform has consistently become the bulk of their income.”
Contrary to platforms like Instagram and TikTok, Passes emphasizes the bond between creators and their core supporters, with monetization woven into that relationship. Guo likened it to Patreon.
Yet, she wants to clarify that, unlike OnlyFans, Passes attracts a different kind of creator. “Our features are distinctly different. The type of creator we appeal to typically doesn’t fit that mold.”
While the platform has faced some backlash, including a class-action lawsuit regarding underage content, Guo insists, “It’s a shakedown.” She has filed to dismiss the claims, stating they are unfounded.
Currently, Passes boasts around 50 employees, thousands of creators, and millions of subscribers, including top earners like golfer Charlie Hull and YouTuber Sssniper Wolf.
“Our creators are doing remarkable things,” she noted. “And we’re just getting started.”
Guo has always been ahead in her field. She started coding in high school, studied computer science at Carnegie Mellon, then dropped out after winning a $100,000 fellowship. She interned at Facebook, became the first female designer at Snapchat, and co-founded Scale AI with Wang through connections on Quora.
Despite her success, she feels somewhat underrated in the industry. “People don’t see the effort behind the scenes,” she said. “They see the headlines but not the 18-hour workdays.”
Her life lately has made headlines too; she threw lavish parties in her Miami apartment—all while dealing with HOA complaints from neighbors like David Beckham.
After that, she moved back to Los Angeles and purchased a $4.2 million home, which helps her connect more with creators visiting her state-of-the-art office.
“They come to film content and record; it’s a relationship-driven business,” she shared. “I’m even building a music studio.”
Her passion for music has blossomed, particularly EDM. She recalls her first experience with it during the Autsist Lands Music & Arts Festival. “It changed my mood; the energy is so positive.”
Guo is taking DJ lessons and often steps in whenever her friends play. “I even performed at a club in LA recently.”
She always has her music-filled USB ready, rushing to music festivals to catch her favorite DJs.
This summer, she visited Europe for various music festivals and mingled with A-list celebrities at a luxury yacht collection launch in Barcelona. Next, she plans to visit Kenya for the wildlife migration.
“I pick destinations based on scenery, especially mountainous regions,” she mentioned. “Having a Barry’s Bootcamp nearby would be a plus.”
Interestingly, Guo has jokingly referred to herself as a Swiftie, though she doesn’t feel much has changed since overtaking Taylor Swift on the billionaire list.
“Now my DMs are busier,” she laughed. “A lot of celebrities want to connect, but I find myself questioning their intentions.”
There was even a tabloid rumor linking her to Orlando Bloom after they were photographed at the same event. “I just turned around, and the paparazzi caught a shot. We’re definitely not dating,” she chuckled.
For Guo, time is precious. “I’m focused on engaging with engineers, VCs, and founders. What excites me is developing the next features and tools that people actually value. Helping creators grow is what I love most.”
So, don’t expect her to slow down anytime soon. “I have too much energy to burn.”
