Manus' cofounder shared 2 photos showing he has something in common with Meta's Mark Zuckerberg

In a striking visual parallel, Ji Yichao, co-founder and chief scientist of Manus, recently shared images on X that link his past to that of Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. The photos depict both men, years apart, working diligently at laptops in what is known as the 'Facebook House' in Palo Alto, California. This house served as a pivotal workspace for Zuckerberg during the early days of Facebook after he left Harvard University in 2004. Ji's post reflects on the shared experiences of these two entrepreneurs, noting, "21 years ago and 13 years ago, two dropouts in this same room set out on their own journeys. Today, those paths merge." His company, Manus, which specializes in autonomous AI agents, caught the attention of Meta, leading to an acquisition announced on Monday, reportedly valued at over $2 billion. At just 32 years old, Ji became the face of Manus during its launch in March, unveiling a general-purpose AI agent designed to execute tasks independently. His educational journey began at the Beijing Information Science and Technology University (BISTU) in 2010; however, he chose entrepreneurship over continuing his studies. He returned to complete his degree in 2018, showcasing a path not unlike many successful tech founders. The trend of successful companies emerging from dropout founders is prevalent in the tech industry. This year alone, Meta's acquisition of Scale AI was driven by another college dropout, Alexandr Wang. Icons such as Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Apple’s Steve Jobs, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman also share similar educational backgrounds. As debates around the value of college degrees intensify, especially among Gen Z, experts like Fei-Fei Li highlight a shift in hiring practices, suggesting that degrees might matter less in the tech sector. Yet, research indicates that a well-chosen degree can still provide substantial long-term benefits. Manus, launched by the Chinese AI product studio Butterfly Effect, has since moved to Singapore and is reporting impressive growth, with annual recurring revenue exceeding $100 million. Meta plans to maintain Manus as a standalone subscription service while integrating its innovative technology across its platforms.