Imagine becoming a billionaire before you are old enough to rent a car in some countries. For a small group of young people, that is reality.
Forbes counted a record 35 billionaires under the age of 30 on its 2026 World’s Billionaires list.
Together, these ultra-young billionaires were worth approximately $92.4 billion as of March 1, 2026. Some inherited vast family fortunes.
Others created billion-dollar companies in artificial intelligence, prediction markets and software. And 2026 produced several records.
The world’s youngest billionaire is just 20 years old, while the world’s youngest self-made billionaire is only 22.
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Top 10 Youngest Billionaires in the World in 2026
The ranking below is ordered by age using Forbes’ 2026 list.
| Rank | Billionaire | Age | Estimated Net Worth* | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amelie Voigt Trejes | 20 | $1.1B | WEG |
| 2 | Johannes von Baumbach | 20 | Multi-billion-dollar inherited stake | Pharmaceuticals |
| 3 | Livia Voigt de Assis | 21 | Billion-dollar fortune | WEG |
| 4 | Clemente Del Vecchio | 21 | Multi-billion-dollar fortune | EssilorLuxottica |
| 5 | Kim Jung-youn | 22 | Billion-dollar fortune | Nexon |
| 6 | Surya Midha | 22 | $2.2B | Mercor |
| 7 | Brendan Foody | 22 | $2.2B | Mercor |
| 8 | Adarsh Hiremath | 22 | $2.2B | Mercor |
| 9 | Pedro Voigt Trejes | Early 20s | Billion-dollar fortune | WEG |
| 10 | Felipe Voigt Trejes | 23 | $1.1B | WEG |
*Forbes estimates as of March 1, 2026. Private-company valuations and market prices can change.
10. Felipe Voigt Trejes — Age 23
Felipe Voigt Trejes is an heir to Brazilian industrial machinery manufacturer WEG.
WEG was cofounded by his grandfather Werner Ricardo Voigt in 1961.
The company produces electric motors and industrial equipment and exports products around the world.
Forbes estimated Felipe’s fortune at approximately $1.1 billion in 2026.
9. Pedro Voigt Trejes
Pedro belongs to the same Brazilian billionaire family.
His wealth comes from his stake in WEG.
Several members of the Voigt family appear among the world’s youngest billionaires, making WEG one of the most remarkable sources of inherited Gen-Z billionaire wealth.
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8. Adarsh Hiremath — Age 22
Adarsh Hiremath is one of three young founders behind Mercor.
The AI recruiting startup uses artificial intelligence to help companies find and evaluate workers.
Private investors valued Mercor at approximately $10 billion in late 2025.
Forbes estimated Hiremath and his two cofounders were each worth approximately $2.2 billion by March 2026.
7. Brendan Foody — Age 22
Brendan Foody is another Mercor cofounder.
His rise into billionaire territory highlights one of the biggest themes of the 2026 wealth rankings:
artificial intelligence is creating extraordinary fortunes at extraordinary speed.
Forbes estimates Foody’s stake in Mercor makes him worth approximately $2.2 billion.
6. Surya Midha — Age 22
Surya Midha is the youngest of Mercor’s three billionaire cofounders by a matter of months.
That distinction is important.
Forbes identifies Midha as the youngest self-made billionaire in the world.
He and his cofounders are also the youngest self-made billionaires ever to appear on Forbes’ annual billionaire list, beating Mark Zuckerberg, who first entered at age 23.
5. Kim Jung-youn — Age 22
Kim Jung-youn inherited wealth connected to Nexon, the major South Korean-Japanese online gaming company founded by her father, Kim Jung-ju.
Nexon was an early pioneer of the free-to-play gaming model.
Kim and her older sister inherited significant stakes after their father’s death in 2022.
Her fortune places her among the youngest billionaires in Asia.
4. Clemente Del Vecchio — Age 21
Clemente Del Vecchio is one of the heirs to the fortune created by his late father Leonardo Del Vecchio.
Leonardo founded Luxottica, which became part of EssilorLuxottica.
The company owns or produces some of the best-known eyewear brands in the world.
Clemente’s inherited stake places him among the wealthiest people anywhere near his age.
3. Livia Voigt de Assis — Age 21
Livia Voigt de Assis is another heir to Brazilian industrial giant WEG.
Like other young members of the family, she owns a stake in the company but does not play a major operational role.
The Voigt fortune demonstrates how ownership in a successful multigenerational company can create enormous wealth across several members of one family.
2. Johannes von Baumbach — Age 20
Johannes von Baumbach is an heir to Boehringer Ingelheim, one of Germany’s largest privately held pharmaceutical companies.
His family’s stake in the drugmaker has created several extremely young billionaires.
He previously held the distinction of being the world’s youngest billionaire before being surpassed in 2026.
1. Amelie Voigt Trejes — Age 20
Amelie Voigt Trejes is the youngest billionaire in the world in 2026.
Her fortune comes from approximately a 2% stake in Brazilian industrial manufacturer WEG, cofounded by her late grandfather.
Forbes estimated her wealth at approximately $1.1 billion.
She narrowly beats Johannes von Baumbach by age, making her the youngest member of the entire 2026 Forbes World’s Billionaires list.
Youngest Billionaire vs. Youngest Self-Made Billionaire
These are not the same thing.
Youngest billionaire overall:
Amelie Voigt Trejes — age 20
Her fortune is inherited.
Youngest self-made billionaire:
Surya Midha — age 22
His fortune comes from Mercor, the AI recruiting company he cofounded.
That distinction makes Midha’s story especially significant.
How Many Billionaires Are Under 30?
Forbes counted 35 billionaires younger than 30 in 2026.
That is a record.
Of those 35, 12 were self-made, another record.
AI and software played a major role in producing the newest self-made entrants.
AI Is Creating Billionaires Faster
A striking number of new young billionaires come from companies associated with artificial intelligence.
Examples include:
- Mercor
- Cursor
- Lovable
- Scale AI
Private technology companies can now reach multibillion-dollar valuations within a few years.
When founders retain meaningful ownership stakes, those valuations can turn them into billionaires remarkably quickly.
But Inheritance Still Matters More
Despite the attention surrounding young AI founders, inherited wealth remains the dominant route into billionaire status for people in their early twenties.
Large family stakes in companies such as:
- WEG
- Boehringer Ingelheim
- EssilorLuxottica
- Nexon
have created multiple Gen-Z billionaires.
Who Is the Youngest Self-Made Female Billionaire?
Forbes identifies Luana Lopes Lara, age 29, as the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire in 2026.
She cofounded prediction-market company Kalshi and was estimated to be worth approximately $1.3 billion.
Final Thoughts
The world’s youngest billionaires in 2026 illustrate two very different paths to extreme wealth.
One is centuries old:
inheritance.
The other is distinctly modern:
building fast-growing technology companies.
Amelie Voigt Trejes holds the title of youngest billionaire overall at age 20.
But Surya Midha may represent the more dramatic business story.
At only 22, the Mercor cofounder became the youngest self-made billionaire ever to appear on Forbes’ annual billionaire ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the youngest billionaire in the world in 2026?
Amelie Voigt Trejes of Brazil, age 20.
Who is the youngest self-made billionaire?
Surya Midha, age 22, cofounder of Mercor. Forbes estimated his fortune at $2.2 billion.
How many billionaires under 30 are there?
Forbes counted a record 35 in 2026.
Who is the youngest self-made female billionaire?
Luana Lopes Lara, cofounder of Kalshi, at age 29.
Are most young billionaires self-made?
No. Inheritance still accounts for most billionaire fortunes among people under 30, although Forbes counted a record 12 self-made members of the group in 2026.