The Youngest Billionaire in the World

Becoming a billionaire is a dream for many and a lot of those that do achieve it do so at a later stage in their lives. Yet, there are a lucky few, who, either through hard work or fortunate origins, achieve this status with their whole lives ahead. So, who holds the youngest billionaire in the world title? And if they inherited their cash, who is the youngest self-made billionaire? Let’s find out.  

Who is the youngest billionaire in the world?

Forbes, which tracks the net worth of individuals worldwide, considers several criteria when listing the top millionaires and billionaires. It provides lists of billionaires under 30 or 40. Aside from the age bracket, there’s also a separate report on the youngest billionaires in the US only. 

On a global level, however, Kevin David Lehmann, who is only 19 years old as of writing, successfully clinched the title of the current youngest billionaire in the world. Forbes reports that the teenager from Germany has a current net worth of about $2.4 billion. 

Lehmann inherited 50% of his father’s stake in the German drugstore chain dm-drogerie markt. His father is an early investor in the firm, but both of them have no input into its day-to-day operations. 

This means that Lehmann is also the youngest male billionaire in the world. 

Other Billionaires Under 30

While Lehmann holds the title for now, let’s see the runners-up in the youngest billionaire in the world competition. 

Pedro Franceschi & Wang Zelong (25)

Two young billionaires share the same amount of current net worth of $1.5 billion at the age of 25. Brazilian Pedro Franceschi is on a mission to give every business the tools it needs for success. He co-founded Brex, which has already revolutionized financial systems and given businesses greater control of their expenses as they grow in size — all while making sure people are being treated fairly across industries.

Wang Zelong from China made it on the list of Forbes’ richest people after inheriting a stake worth more than $1.3 billion dollars in CNNC Hua Yuan Titanium Dioxide Co. 

Alexandra Andresen (25)

This Norwegian heiress, who is also the youngest female billionaire in the world, has a current net worth of $1.3 billion dollars according to Forbes. She first became the world’s youngest billionaire at age 19 in 2016. She was able to maintain such distinction for three years before being dethroned by another teenager. Andresen, who is now 25, inherited 42% of her family’s investment company called Ferd.

Henrique Dubugras (26)

Another youngest billionaire hailing from Brazil, Henrique Dubugras is the co-CEO of Brex, a fintech company that he co-founded with Pedro Franceschi. Dubugras has the same net worth as Franceschi at $1.5 billion. It just so happened that the former is a year older which is why they’re not on the same rank.

Katharina Andresen (26)

That would be Alexandra Andresen’s older sister. She also inherited a 42% share of their family-owned company and has a net worth of $1.3 billion. Being just a year older than her sister made Katharina miss the title, but she remains on Forbes’ top 10 list of billionaires.

Who is the first youngest billionaire in the world?

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates became the first youngest self-made billionaire ever recorded in history in 1987. He was only 31 at that time and his net worth was $1.25 billion. Gates was also the world’s richest person from 1995 to 2017, excluding only four of those 22 years.

For a long time, Gates held such a title until he lost it to Larry Page in 2004. Page, who was 30 years old at that time, is the co-founder of the world’s largest search engine Google. The company went public in the said year, propelling Page to the top rank. 

Over the years, and with the exponential growth of the internet and technology space, the age of the youngest self-made billionaires gets younger and younger. A great example is Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg who became the youngest billionaire in the world in 2008 at the age of 24.

Who is the youngest self-made billionaire in the world?

Forbes recently named Alexandr Wang the youngest self-made billionaire in the world at 25. Founder of Scale AI, a tech firm that utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze huge amounts of data, Wang managed to reach the billionaires’ rank just six years after putting up his company.

Wang owns an approximately 15% stake in the company, which was valued at $7.3 billion. The young billionaire has incredibly closed three deals with at least $350 million worth. He also makes an addition to the growing number of richest people in the world who dropped out of college.

In 2019, the distinction went to Kylie Jenner at the age of 22. Jenner made her fortune through her company, Kylie Cosmetics, which she founded in 2015. The business is entirely self-made – Jenner owns 100%, and she’s the sole owner of the company’s trademarks and patents.

Who is the youngest billionaire in America?

The most recent person to bag the title of the youngest billionaire in the US is Kylie Jenner who was only 22 at that time. As mentioned earlier, Bill Gates became the youngest and first person in the world to hit a net worth of at least $1 billion at the age of 31. 

Final Thoughts

There you have it — the youngest billionaire in the world… for now. As we noted earlier, the age of people reaching billionaire ranks continues to get younger, so who knows how old (or rather, young), the next one would be. In any case, if you want to join the exclusive club of individuals with a net worth of over $1 billion, consider exploring some strategies that could make you a billionaire.