Teen, Who Built Elon Musk's Starlink Software, Is Now A Wall Street Quant Developer
After 2 years of working with Elon Musk's firm, 16 year old is set to begin his new journey with Citadel Securities in New York.
Kairan Quazi, at the age of 16, has achieved what many engineers spend their whole careers working toward. He has already graduated from college and even built software for SpaceX's Starlink satellites. Instead of following the expected path into Silicon Valley, Kairan is stepping into the world of finance. After 2 years of working with Elon Musk's firm, he is set to begin his new journey with Citadel Securities in New York, where he will work as a quant developer.
Before going to the latest firm, Kairan turned down offers from some of the most well known AI startups. Kairan chose Citadel because he believes its work culture values skill over age and encourages learning through quick feedback. Speaking with Business Insider, Kairan said, 'After two years at SpaceX, I felt ready to take on new challenges and expand my skill set into a different high-performance environment. Citadel Securities offered a similarly ambitious culture, but also a completely new domain, which is very exciting for me."
In his new role, Kairan Quazi will be part of the team that builds and maintains Citadel Securities' global trading systems. His work will combine both engineering and complex problem solving, while closely collaborating with traders and other engineers. He shared that his role will not just be about assisting but also taking full responsibility for projects. This means he will come up with new ideas, share them with his team and senior leaders.
According to the 16 year old, 'It felt like a very natural transition from the high-performance culture at SpaceX. I had a very broad scope and a lot of responsibility, especially for a junior engineer. Quant finance offers a pretty rare combination: the complexity and intellectual challenge that AI research also provides, but with a much faster pace. At Citadel Securities, I'll be able to see measurable impact in days, not months or years like many research environments."
Why Citadel's Work Environment Attracted Him:
Kairan Quazi shared that he got attracted towards Citadel Securities because the firm welcomed his unusual path. They gave him chances without letting his young age or limited work years come in the way. He was also excited after interacting directly with senior leaders. His early exposure in finance also played a role, since his mother had worked as an investment banker in mergers and acquisitions. For students like him who study math and engineering, firms in quantitative trading are considered some of the best and most respected places to work after graduation.
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First Published:
August 20, 2025, 09:01 IST
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