Exclusive: Lucy Guo on surpassing Taylor Swift, building a billion-dollar fortune and growing up in the Bay Area
Lucy Guo, co-founder of Scale AI, recently earned a new distinction: the world's youngest self-made female billionaire, edging out music superstar Taylor Swift.
At just 30, the Bay Area tech entrepreneur's ascent mirrors Scale AI's explosive rise. The 9-year-old data-labeling company is now valued at $25 billion, with a major tender offer expected to close by June.
Though Guo left Scale in 2018 and settled in Los Angeles in 2024, her nearly 5% stake has grown to more than $1.2 billion. Since then, she's launched Passes, a subscription platform for social media influencers, making her one of only six self-made female billionaires under 40 — and the only one who no longer runs the company that built her fortune.
Raised in Fremont by Chinese immigrants who were both electrical engineers, Guo began hustling online before she could drive – selling Pokemon cards, coding bots for online games and running ad-heavy streaming sites. By second grade, she says she was already making money via PayPal.
After a brief stint at Carnegie Mellon, she dropped out of college to join the Thiel Fellowship, a program that pays young people to launch startups. Internships at Facebook, Snapchat and Quora followed.
In a candid conversation with the Chronicle, Guo reflects on ambition, risk, identity and what it really means to be 'self-made.'
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: How does it feel to be named the world's youngest self-made woman billionaire?
A: Honestly, I don't think about it that much. I'm so honored, but I'm more excited about the impact we're making by turning creators into entrepreneurs. I'm laser-focused on building Passes and creating a best-in-class product at the intersection of tech and the creator economy.
Q: You grew up in the Bay Area. What was your early life like here?
A: My parents are Chinese immigrants who worked incredibly hard, and their work ethic definitely rubbed off on me. My upbringing was very much in line with typical Asian American parenting, where we're taught to study hard to earn lots of money.
Instead of paying attention in class and studying, I was on the internet learning how to make money. I learned how to code and started creating bots on Neopets and Runescape to resell. I then learned Photoshop and combined those skills to start building websites.
Q: What first drew you into the world of AI?
A: My parents were upset that I was on the computer all day and not studying. Around senior year of high school, I started getting more exposed to 'hacker' and entrepreneurship culture.
My first real exposure to the professional tech world was the Thiel Fellowship. Of course, I was studying computer science and human-computer interactions at Carnegie Mellon right before this. However, pursuing the startup life full-time was the ultimate turning point that led me to meet like-minded people who share the same curiosity for innovation and the latest technology, such as AI.
Q: Looking back on your time at Scale AI, do you have any regrets or lessons that shaped what you did next?
A: I learned so much. The company was built at a time when AI started taking off. It taught me that timing truly matters when building a startup. For example, we were able to capitalize on the self-driving cars market.
At Passes, our creators come first, and nearly all creators have an in-house creator success manager they can text or call when they need something. We have recently introduced programs to support creators earlier in their careers to catapult their earnings and audience.
It's inevitable that the direction and roadmap of the company will evolve, which was a lesson I've learned over and over again throughout my time there, since I saw it grow from nothing to what it is now.
At Passes, I've been more intentional about how we build and what kind of culture we maintain, and not creating tech debt early on. I understand how important the long-term sustainability of a company is, and that starts with happy and engaged stakeholders. Our partners, employees, creators, and fans are always treated with empathy and respect.
A: Around the time of the pandemic, I became friends with a lot of creators and saw that there's a need in the market in terms of monetization. Most creators were making the majority of their income from brand deals, which are inconsistent and can evaporate in an instant.
I saw this as an opportunity to build an all-in-one platform that makes it simple for creators to monetize their brand, while turning their fans into superfans and to build large, sustainable businesses.
Q: What does being 'self-made' mean to you, and how do you define that for yourself?
A: 'Self-made' is a complicated, layered term because nobody truly succeeds alone. At the end of the day, my upbringing — growing up in the Bay Area, access to education, my Asian American roots, etcetera — all brought me to where I am today. Especially in today's world, being self-made means using what you have, taking risks and charting your own path.
A little luck never hurts either!
Q: What's something you sacrificed to get here that most people don't see?
A: Sleep, for one! I'm all about working hard, playing hard.
Over the years, I've learned that discipline is an amazing thing. That means waking up at the crack of dawn for morning Barry's classes. Balancing discipline with fun is also just as important — I'm learning how to DJ right now.
I also had some large monetary opportunities that I passed on because I knew I wanted to build something bigger.
Q: What's the best thing about wealth, beyond the obvious perks people usually associate with it?
A: The freedom to make decisions based on impact rather than necessity.
I can now invest in founders and ideas I believe in without worrying about immediate returns. I'm particularly interested in investing in women-founded companies and want to see more women in tech.
Q: How are your DJ skills coming along? Do you find time for music or other creative outlets?
A: My DJ skills are definitely a work in progress, but I'm having fun with it. It's a nice release after a busy day in the office.
We have an amazing headquarters (in Hollywood) with a performance stage, podcast studio and theater, so I've set up a DJ set in the office too.
Having creative outlets makes me a better thinker and clears up my mental space.
Q: What advice would you give to a young woman sitting on a big idea but unsure of where to begin?
A: Just start. Don't wait for permission or for everything to be perfect. Find your people and surround yourself with others who believe in you and your vision. Building companies is hard, and you need a support system of mentors and peers who will lift you up when things get tough. I've also faced plenty of scrutiny as a young Asian woman in tech, but I use that scrutiny as fuel and motivation.
You have to accept that the world isn't fair — just work harder and prove them all wrong.
Q: You just replaced Taylor Swift, one of the most powerful cultural figures of our time, on the Forbes list. How does it feel to be compared to a pop star like her?
A: I'm going to be honest — meeting Taylor Swift at Coachella last year was the only time I've ever felt starstruck. She's an absolute icon.
It's so cool that the list is showcasing more diversity in terms of how women are building wealth — from music and art to tech. It's funny because this plays into what I'm hoping to see for the creators on Passes, allowing creators to become powerful cultural figures and building generational wealth. It's also inspiring to see more women making their mark in tech, finance and other traditionally male-dominated fields.
Q: Are you a fan of her music? Any favorite songs?
A: Let's just say I went to her Eras tour twice when she was in L.A. I'm a huge fan of her music. Back in high school, I always daydreamed that someone would serenade me with 'Love Story.'
A: I initially left San Francisco to go travel the world. The Bay Area was my home for two decades, and it was time for a new adventure. I tried out L.A., New York and Miami. But L.A. is now home.
One of my favorite go-to spots in San Francisco is Delancey Street Restaurant, which supports the rehabilitation of Delancey Street Foundation residents who are rebuilding their lives. I also frequented many all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurants.
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