The 22-year-old founders of Mercor, an AI recruiting startup, have become the world’s youngest self-made billionaires, surpassing Mark Zuckerberg. High school friends Brendan Foody, Adarsh Hiremath, and Surya Midha achieved this after raising $350 million, valuing the company at $10 billion. Two are Indian-Americans, highlighting immigrant success in tech.
Quick Insights
- Youngest Billionaires: Mercor’s 22-year-old founders surpassed Mark Zuckerberg to become the world’s youngest self-made billionaires.
- Thiel Fellows & Dropouts: All three left Harvard and Georgetown to pursue Mercor under the Thiel Fellowship.
- Indian-American Pride: Founders Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha highlight immigrant success and diversity in tech..
- $10B AI Triumph: Mercor’s $350M funding round valued the AI recruiting startup at $10 billion.
The Founders’ Background and Rise
Brendan Foody is CEO, Adarsh Hiremath CTO, and Surya Midha board chairman. All Thiel Fellows, they dropped out of Harvard (Hiremath) and Georgetown (Foody and Midha) to build Mercor. Hiremath noted, “If I weren’t working on Mercor, I would have just graduated college a couple months ago.” They bonded at Bellarmine College Preparatory, where Midha and Hiremath won all three national debate tournaments. Midha, a second-generation immigrant from New Delhi, embodies the American Dream.
Milestones and Comparisons
- Record-Breaking Achievement: At 22, the Mercor founders are now the youngest self-made billionaires, surpassing Shayne Coplan (27) of Polymarket and Alexander Wang (28) of Scale AI.
- Funding Success: The 10 billion, marking a significant leap in AI-driven recruiting.
- Indian-American Influence: Midha and Hiremath’s Indian roots add diversity to tech leadership, with Midha’s parents immigrating from New Delhi.
- Educational Pivot: All three left top schools like Harvard and Georgetown to pursue entrepreneurship,
The Mercor story underscores the power of youthful ambition, strong friendships, and bold decisions in the tech world. As these 22-year-olds redefine billionaire status, they inspire a new generation of innovators, proving that age is no barrier to groundbreaking success in Silicon Valley.
