This 22-year-old co-founder surpassed Mark Zuckerberg’s Forbes record: Meet Surya Midha

At just 22 years old, Surya Midha has made headlines as one of the youngest self-made billionaires, sharing this impressive status alongside Mark Zuckerberg, who held the record at age 23. Midha, of Indian origin, is a co-founder of the AI startup Mercor, which has rapidly ascended to a valuation of $10 billion following a substantial $350 million Series C funding round in October 2025. With a net worth of $2.2 billion, he now stands as the youngest member of a trio that includes fellow co-founders Brendan Foody and Adarsh Hiremath. Born in Mountain View and raised in San Jose, California, Midha showcased his intellect early on, excelling at Bellarmine College Preparatory and becoming a national debate champion. "My partner and I were the first team in history to win all three major national tournaments in policy debate," he proudly shared in his blog, highlighting his achievements. Midha pursued his bachelor's degree in Foreign Studies at Georgetown University. However, in 2023, he took an academic leave to launch Mercor with his high school friend Brendan Foody and Adarsh Hiremath. This bold move has now placed them among the youngest self-made billionaires in history. So, what exactly is Mercor? This innovative AI-driven hiring platform aims to streamline recruitment processes by automating resume screening and candidate matching. The system starts with a job description upload and employs advanced algorithms to recommend the most suitable candidates. Notably, among its clients is OpenAI, which utilizes Mercor's technology to enhance its hiring procedures. Mercor prides itself on eliminating human bias in recruitment, focusing solely on candidates' qualifications and merits.