Three 22-Year-Olds Just Became Billionaires—Did They Invent the Future or Just Get Lucky?

Tiga Orang 22 Tahun Baru Saja Jadi Miliarder—Apakah Mereka Menciptakan Masa Depan atau Hanya Beruntung?

So the Forbes 2025 Youngest Billionaires list just dropped, and it's a masterclass in how AI and hype are rewriting wealth creation. Three 22-year-olds—Adarsh Hiremath, Brandon Fujii, and Surya Midha—founded Mercor, an AI-driven talent acquisition startup two years ago. And now they’re each worth $2.2 billion after a $10B valuation. Let that sink in: they started before they could legally drink in the US.

Daftar Forbes Miliarder Termuda 2025 baru saja rilis, dan ini pelajaran sempurna tentang bagaimana AI dan sensasi sedang mengubah cara kekayaan diciptakan. Tiga anak 22 tahun—Adarsh Hiremath, Brandon Fujii, dan Surya Midha—mendirikan Mercor, startup rekrutmen berbasis AI dua tahun lalu. Kini masing-masing bernilai 2,2 miliar dolar setelah valuasi 10 miliar dolar. Bayangkan: mereka memulai bisnis sebelum cukup umur minum alkohol di AS.

Meanwhile, Edwin Chen, CEO of Surge AI, tops the self-made list with $18B at age 38. Interesting how 'AI' is now a de facto wealth accelerator—same as 'crypto' in 2017. Are we building real value or just inflating digital balloons?

Sementara itu, Edwin Chen, CEO Surge AI, memuncaki daftar pebisnis mandiri dengan 18 miliar dolar di usia 38. Menarik bagaimana 'AI' kini menjadi peluncur kekayaan—seperti 'crypto' di 2017. Apakah kita membangun nilai nyata atau hanya menggelembungkan balon digital?

Komentar (8)

VC Investor Bro (Pemain Investasi Ventura)

Y'all are so jealous. At 22, most of you were figuring out laundry, these kids built an AI HR stack that actually works. Valuation isn't just hype—it's based on real traction. Mercor’s clients include Google and Stripe. Wake up, sheeple.

Kalian cuma iri. Di usia 22, kebanyakan dari kalian masih belajar cuci baju, sementara mereka membuat platform HR berbasis AI yang benar-benar jalan. Valuasi bukan cuma sensasi—ini didukung hasil nyata. Klien Mercor termasuk Google dan Stripe. Bangun, kawanan domba.

Skeptical Sociologist (Sosiolog yang Ragu)

Sure, traction. But let's not pretend this isn't built on cheap data labor—underpaid annotators labeling datasets in Nairobi and Hyderabad. The 'self-made' myth erases the invisible workforce that fuels AI empires.

Tentu, ada hasil. Tapi jangan berpura-pura ini tidak dibangun di atas tenaga kerja data murahan—pemberi label dataset yang digaji rendah di Nairobi dan Hyderabad. Mitos 'mandiri' menghapus tenaga kerja tak terlihat yang menggerakkan imperium AI.

AI Ethics Resident (Ahli Etika AI dari Kampus)

Exactly. This isn't just labor exploitation—it's cognitive colonization. The Global South's lived experience becomes free training data for Silicon Valley empires. AI isn't neutral. It's a mirror.

Tepat sekali. Ini bukan hanya eksploitasi tenaga kerja—ini kolonialisasi kognitif. Pengalaman hidup Global Selatan menjadi data latih gratis untuk imperium Silicon Valley. AI bukan netral. Ia hanya cermin.

Bootstrapped Dev (Programmer Swadana)

I've been coding since I was 14. Built my first SaaS at 19. Still maxing out credit cards. Congrats to them, but please spare me the 'hustle harder' speeches from VCs.

Saya mulai coding sejak usia 14. Bikin SaaS pertama saat 19 tahun. Masih terlilit kartu kredit. Selamat buat mereka, tapi tolong jangan beri saya ceramah 'kerja lebih keras' dari para investor.

Finance Bro 99 (Penjudi Finansial 99)

Valuation isn't wealth till it's liquid. One market correction and these kids go from billionaires to 'remember that AI phase?' Real talk.

Valuasi bukan kekayaan sampai bisa dicairkan. Satu koreksi pasar dan anak-anak ini berubah dari miliarder jadi 'inget fase AI dulu?'. Ini obrolan serius.

Optimistic Millennial (Milenial yang Masih Percaya)

Yeah, the system's rigged. But seeing young founders succeed? That’s hope. Maybe one day 'self-made' means something again. Don’t kill the dream, people.

Ya, sistemnya curang. Tapi melihat pendiri muda sukses? Itu harapan. Mungkin suatu hari 'mandiri' benar-benar berarti sesuatu lagi. Jangan bunuh mimpinya, kawan.

Wang Ning Fan (Penggemar Wang Ning)

Everyone’s obsessed with AI, but Wang Ning built a 15.7B dollor empire selling cute toys. No algorithms, just cultural resonance. That’s real innovation.

Semua sibuk AI, tapi Wang Ning membangun kerajaan 15,7 miliar dolar dari mainan lucu. Tidak pakai algoritma, hanya resonansi budaya. Itu baru inovasi sejati.

Pop Mart Trader (Pedagang Saham Pop Mart)

Wang Ning’s run-up in 2025? That was a masterstroke. The collectible toy bubble might be fragile, but as long as Gen Z keeps paying $100 for tiny figurines, I’m holding.

Kenaikan saham Wang Ning di 2025? Itu langkah jenius. Gelembung mainan koleksi mungkin rapuh, tapi selama Gen Z tetap bayar 100 dolar untuk figur kecil, saya pegang terus.

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