As of 2024, the landscape of the wealthiest young internet entrepreneurs includes both self-made individuals and those who have inherited stakes in tech-related companies. Here are some of the most notable figures:
- Mark Zuckerberg
- Age: 40
- Net Worth: Approximately $100 billionSource of Wealth: Co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook)
- Background: Zuckerberg launched Facebook in 2004, which has since evolved into Meta Platforms, encompassing various social media and technology ventures.
- Dustin Moskovitz
- Age: 40
- Net Worth: Approximately $17 billion
- Source of Wealth: Co-founder of Facebook and Asana
- Background: Moskovitz co-founded Facebook with Zuckerberg and later started Asana, a work management platform.
- Evan Spiegel
- Age: 34
- Net Worth: Approximately $5 billion
- Source of Wealth: Co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc.
- Background: Spiegel co-founded Snapchat in 2011, which has become a leading multimedia messaging app.
- Bobby Murphy
- Age: 36
- Net Worth: Approximately $4.8 billion
- Source of Wealth: Co-founder and CTO of Snap Inc.
- Background: Murphy co-founded Snapchat alongside Spiegel and serves as the company’s Chief Technology Officer.
- Ben Francis
- Age: 32
- Net Worth: Approximately $1.2 billion
- Source of Wealth: Founder and CEO of Gymshark
- Background: Francis founded Gymshark, an online fitness apparel brand, which has grown into a billion-dollar company.
- John Collison
- Age: 34
- Net Worth: Approximately $9.5 billion
- Source of Wealth: Co-founder and President of Stripe
- Background: Collison co-founded Stripe, an online payment processing platform, which has become a significant player in the fintech industry.
- Patrick Collison
- Age: 36
- Net Worth: Approximately $9.5 billion
- Source of Wealth: Co-founder and CEO of Stripe
- Background: Alongside his brother John, Patrick co-founded Stripe, facilitating online payments for businesses globally.
- Brian Armstrong
- Age: 41
- Net Worth: Approximately $2.7 billion
- Source of Wealth: Co-founder and CEO of Coinbase
- Background: Armstrong co-founded Coinbase, a leading cryptocurrency exchange platform.
- Nathan Blecharczyk
- Age: 41
- Net Worth: Approximately $10 billion
- Source of Wealth: Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Airbnb
- Background: Blecharczyk co-founded Airbnb, revolutionizing the hospitality industry with an online platform for lodging and tourism experiences.
- Lynsi Snyder
- Age: 42
- Net Worth: Approximately $4.2 billion
- Source of Wealth: Owner and President of In-N-Out Burger
- Background: Snyder inherited and expanded the In-N-Out Burger chain, maintaining its private ownership and cult following.
These individuals have significantly impacted the tech and internet industries, amassing substantial wealth through innovation and entrepreneurship.
The 21st century has seen an explosion of young internet entrepreneurs creating billion-dollar empires. In this article, we take a look at the ten richest young internet billionaires under the age of 40. I would of rather had the list of young billionaires under the age of 30, however, unfortunately, for the first time in 15 years, there are no self-made billionaires under the age of 30.
The Five Richest Young Billionaires
Mark Zuckerberg: He is 39 years old with a net worth of $200 billion. He founded Facebook with his friends.
Dustin Moskovitz: He is 39 years old with a net worth of $22.7 billion. He cofounded Facebook.
Nathan Blecharczyk: He is 40 years old and worth $10.5 billion. He cofounded Airbnb.
John Collison: He is 33 years old with an estimated net worth of $7.2 billion. He cofounded Stripe with his brother.
Patrick Collison: He is 35 years old and worth $7.2 billion. He’s one of the founders of Stripe.
The five richest have only three companies between them. Facebook was founded by five friends, and Stripe was founded by the Collisons. There may be something to be learned from that. If you want to be a successful and rich internet entrepreneur, then you should get business partners.
The Richest Billionaire Young Entrepreneurs
1. Mark Zuckerberg: $200 billion
Mark Zuckerberg, the worlds richest young billionaire
Mark Zuckerberg (39) is the founder and CEO of Facebook, the world’s largest social media network. He is worth an astounding $200 billion, making him the 4th richest person in the world (his net worth as increased by over $50 billion in the last 5 months because his wealth is tied to Metas valuation which is at over $1 trillion). Zuckerberg has transformed how we connect online, creating a platform that has become integral to our daily lives. He is constantly working on new innovations, such as virtual reality and augmented reality, to enhance the user experience on his platform. He is also the worlds most famous young entrepreneur, having founded Facebook in his early 20’s while at Harvard university.
An interesting fact about Mark Zuckerberg: He is known for wearing the same grey t-shirt every day.
His motivation when he started his business: Mark Zuckerberg’s motivation to establish his business stemmed from a desire to connect individuals and build a more open and interconnected world through technology.
Best motivational quote: “The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”
Assets owned: He owns 13% of Facebook and bought WhatsApp for $19 billion along with 84 other companies.
2. Dustin Moskovitz: $22.7 billion
Dustin Moskovitz youngest billionaireDustin Moskovitz (39) is a co-founder of Facebook and is worth $22.7 billion. After leaving Facebook, he founded Asana, a productivity company that helps teams manage their tasks and projects. Moskovitz is a philanthropist, having donated millions of dollars to causes such as fighting poverty and immigration reform. He is also a signatory of The Giving Pledge, a commitment to donate the majority of his wealth to charitable causes.
An interesting fact about Dustin Moskovitz: He is the youngest self-made billionaire in history.
His motivation when he started his business: He wanted to help more teams do the great work by reducing their workload.
Best motivational quote: “The only reason you should be an entrepreneur is because that’s the only way the idea will come into the world.”
Assets owned: He has 2% stake in Facebook and owns several luxurious properties, including a real estate in Palo Alto, California.
3. Nathan Blecharczyk: $10.5 billion
Nathan BlecharczykNathan Blecharczyk (40) co-founded Airbnb, the world’s largest online marketplace for short-term lodging rentals. He is worth $10.5 billion and is currently the Chief Strategy Officer of Airbnb. Blecharczyk oversees the company’s global strategy and operations. He is also a board member of The Pritzker Foundation, a philanthropic organization that supports innovative solutions to societal problems.
An interesting fact about Nathan Blecharczyk: He initially started Airbnb to make extra money to pay his rent.
His motivation when he started his business: He, together with his friends, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, started Airbnb out of a practical need to make rent in San Francisco.
Best motivational quote: “For entrepreneurs, choosing your co-founders is like a professional marriage. You’re going to go through tough times, and you need to remember that ideas can change, but business partners can’t.”
Assets owned: He owns around 62 million shares in Airbnb.
4. John Collison: $7.2 billion
John Collison youngest billionaireJohn Collison (33) cofounded Stripe, a payment processing company that helps businesses accept payments online. The Collison brothers started Stripe when they were teenagers, and it has since grown into a significant player in the financial tech industry. They continue innovating with new features and have expanded Stripe’s capabilities beyond payment processing.
An interesting fact about John Collison: He learned how to code at the age of eight.
Best motivational quote:
“One of the myths you see in entrepreneurship is that people have this dream one night, wake up the next morning, and start building it. It’s actually much more of an iterative process.” – John Collison
5. Patrick Collison: $7.2 billion
Patrick Collison youngest billionairePatrick Collison (35) cofounded Stripe, a payment processing company that helps businesses accept payments online. The Collison brothers started Stripe when they were teenagers, and it has since grown into a significant player in the financial tech industry. They continue innovating with new features and have expanded Stripe’s capabilities beyond payment processing.
An interesting fact about Patrick Collison: He dropped out of college at the age of 19 to start Stripe.
Their motivation when they started their business: They wanted to simplify the payment process online for businesses.
Best motivational quote: “One of the important lessons of the Internet is, how easy it is to get things done completely shapes what gets created. For that reason, technologies like Amazon’s cloud service are very important. Even if they aren’t technically impressive, they make things easy to do.”
Assets owned: They each own about 10% of Stripe. John bought a historical mansion in Ireland for €20 million. On the other hand, Patrick was a bit privy about his expenditures.
6. Kevin Systrom: $2.6 billion
Kevin SystromKevin Systrom (40) founded Instagram, a social media app that allows users to share photos and videos. Systrom has since left Instagram but continues to invest in startups. He aims to create products people love to use and improve their lives. Systrom is also a philanthropist, donating millions of dollars to causes such as education and the environment.
Kevin Systrom sold Instagram to Facebook for $1 billion in cash and stock in 2012.
An interesting fact about Kevin Systrom: He was an intern at Odeo, which later became Twitter.
His motivation when he started his business: He started Instagram from the premise that each and every person has a visual voice inside.
Best motivational quote: “Do what you love and do it well – that’s much more meaningful than any metric.”
Assets owned: He owned 40% of Instagram prior to its acquisition by Facebook.
7. Tony Xu: $2.1 billion
Young Entrepreneur Tony XuTony Xu (39) co-founded DoorDash, a food delivery service that partners with local restaurants to deliver food to customers. He is worth $2.1 billion and aims to create an efficient and reliable food delivery service for everyone. Xu is also a philanthropist, having donated millions of dollars to causes such as education and healthcare.
An interesting fact about Tony Xu: He initially started DoorDash as a class project at Stanford University.
His motivation when he started his business: He wanted to help small businesses become successful.
Best motivational quote: “If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, I would say find something you’re obsessive about because the journey to building anything of meaning, I believe, will take years, maybe decades.”
Assets owned: He owns about 4.6% of DoorDash.
8. David Karp: $2 billion
David Karp youngest billionaireDavid Karp (37) founded Tumblr, a microblogging platform that allows users to share text, photos, and videos. He is worth $2 billion. Karp has since left Tumblr but continues to invest in startups. He aims to create products people love to use and improve their lives. Karp is also a philanthropist, donating millions of dollars to causes such as education and the environment.
An interesting fact about David Karp: He coded the original version of Tumblr in just two weeks.
His motivation when he started his business: He wanted to explore the potential of the online platforms for artistic expression.
Best motivational quote: “Entrepreneur is someone who has a vision for something and a want to create.”
Assets owned: He owned about 25% of Tumblr prior to its acquisition by Yahoo plus stake worth more than $200 million. Yahoo bought the company for $1.1 billion.
9. Stanley Tang: $1.2 billion
Stanley Tang youngest billionaireStanley Tang (32) cofounded DoorDash, a food delivery service that partners with local restaurants to deliver food to customers. DoorDash has become a major player in the food delivery industry, expanding to over 4,000 cities across the United States, Canada, and Australia. Tang and Fang aim to create an efficient and reliable food delivery service for everyone.
We interviewed Stanley before DoorDash became such a big success; it’s well worth a read.
An interesting fact about Stanley Tang: He created his first business at the age of 14.
Best motivational quote: “Success comes down to hard work plus passion, over time. If you work really, really hard over a long period of time, it will pay off.”
Assets owned: He owns about 4% of DoorDash.
10. Andy Fang: $1.2 billion
Andy Fang youngest billionaireAndy Fang (32) cofounded DoorDash. Since then, the company has become a major player in the food delivery industry, expanding to over 4,000 cities across the United States, Canada, and Australia. Tang and Fang aim to create an efficient and reliable food delivery service for everyone.
DoorDash went public in December 2020 and is currently worth approximately $62 billion.
An interesting fact about Andy Fang: He initially started DoorDash to help his parents’ Chinese restaurant survive.
Assets owned: He owns about 4% of DoorDash.
Richest Self-Made Billionaires Under 30
In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the number of self-made millionaires and billionaires under the age of 30. These young entrepreneurs have achieved remarkable success in various industries including technology, finance, and entertainment. Many of them have disrupted traditional business models and embraced innovation to build their fortunes. Their stories serve as inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs and demonstrate the potential for instantaneous success in business today.
However as of right now there is only one billionaire who is self-made and is still under 30 years old.
And that is 26-year-old Jimmy Donaldson aka ‘MrBeast’ from YouTube. Now thought by some to be worth $10 billion and his whole business revolves around his YouTube channel. Incredible.
The Qualities Needed to Become a Successful Young Entrepreneur
Qualities that can give someone an advantage at becoming a future young billionaire include a combination of strong technical skills, an entrepreneurial mindset, ability to see and take advantage of changing market trends, a strong network of mentors and industry connections, and a visionary approach to innovation. These qualities, when combined with hard work and dedication, can significantly increase one’s chances of achieving success. Though to become a billionaire, I think you also need a lot of luck and to be in the right place at the right time.
These young internet billionaires on this list have not only created successful businesses but also disrupted industries and revolutionized how we live our lives
Some Facebook Stats
At the time of the IPO, Facebook had approximately an 845million users worldwide. (the current figure stands at 2.4 Billion)
Rounding up 845 million to a billion users, we could say that every user was worth $100 to Facebook at the time of the IPO.
Facebook’s net worth as of February 8th, 2022, is $659.527B. You can track net worth here. As a comparison, the market cap of Alphabet (owners of Google) is in the region of $1.124 Trillion as of February April, 2024. (February 2022 – Mark Zuckerberg’s Net Worth Drops By $31 Billion)
According to Axios, Facebook will generate about $226 per user in the U.S. in 2021.
Worldwide, 26.3% of the online population uses Facebook. (72.4% in the USA – June 2017)
