Becoming a billionaire in your 20s sounds like something reserved for fiction, yet for a handful of Gen Z names, it’s already happened.
Right now, 35 people on the planet have managed to hit ten-digit wealth while still incredibly young — a milestone most of us won’t reach even with a lifetime (or several) of chances.
Some arrived there by catching fast-moving trends like the AI surge at the perfect moment, while others inherited stakes in family empires spanning everything from eyewear giants to major pharmaceutical firms.
With that in mind, here are the 10 youngest billionaires — and yes, it may sting a little reading it.
At 23, Pedro Voigt Trejes is among the older members of this group, though still unusually young to be a billionaire. His wealth is linked to Brazilian industrial heavyweight WEG (named using the founders’ initials), a company cofounded by his late grandfather that has grown into a global force in electrical equipment and motors. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.1 billion.
Also 23 is Kevin David Lehmann, whose fortune comes from a significant stake in Germany’s biggest drugstore chain, dm-drogerie markt — yes, the lower-case branding can be distracting. Despite being one of Europe’s youngest billionaires, he remains notably private. Forbes places his wealth at $4.9 billion.
Next are three 22-year-olds representing the self-made side of extreme wealth. Adarsh Hiremath, Brendan Foody, and Surya Midha cofounded the AI recruiting startup Mercor, which quickly expanded by helping major AI companies find talent and assist with model training. If you’ve been applying for jobs lately, there’s a decent chance you’ve come across the platform.
Their rise highlights how quickly AI-era businesses can generate enormous valuations: Mercor only launched in 2023. Forbes values Hiremath at $2.2 billion, Foody at $2.2 billion, and Midha at $2.2 billion.
Hiremath helped drive the early foundation that pushed the company into wider attention, Foody was central as Mercor scaled rapidly, and Midha is the youngest self-made billionaire among them.
Another 22-year-old on the list is Kim Jung-youn of South Korea, who inherited her fortune through gaming giant Nexon after the death of her father, founder Kim Jung-ju.
Nexon became a major name in online gaming and played a key role in popularizing the free-to-play model that reshaped the industry. Forbes estimates her net worth at $1.7 billion.
At 21, Clemente Del Vecchio’s wealth is tied to the family holding company Delfin, which owns a major share of EssilorLuxottica — the eyewear powerhouse behind many of the world’s best-known glasses brands. That connection makes him one of the richest young heirs anywhere. Forbes values him at $6.8 billion.
Also 21 is Lívia Voigt de Assis, whose billionaire status likewise stems from WEG. Her inclusion means the Brazilian industrial business is responsible for more than one ultra-young fortune. Forbes lists her at $1.4 billion.
At 20, Johannes von Baumbach inherited wealth associated with Boehringer Ingelheim, the long-standing, family-controlled German pharmaceutical company. Forbes puts his net worth at $6.6 billion.
Finally, there’s Amelie Voigt Trejes, also 20, who currently holds the title of the world’s youngest billionaire. Like Pedro and Lívia, her wealth comes from WEG. Forbes estimates she is worth $1.1 billion.
That completes the list — and now we wait for the inevitable interviews where they remind the rest of us, juggling jobs and bills, that ‘money doesn’t buy happiness’. If that’s true, sharing a bit more of it wouldn’t hurt.