Punctuality is a precision art for Lucy Guo. Our interview is scheduled for 6pm London time, 10am in her Los Angeles base. As the clock strikes the hour, she joins the Zoom call exactly on the second – not a moment early, not a moment late. For the world's youngest self-made female billionaire, every minute is meticulously accounted for, though even the best-laid plans can be upended by feline chaos.
The Relentless Routine of a Billionaire
‘One was pooping very heavily. It was like a little robot going and going, so my room smelled,’ Lucy reveals with a constant smile, describing how her two cats, Chili and Sega, woke her at 5am – a full 30 minutes before her alarm. The robotic analogy is fitting for a woman who co-founded Scale AI, a data-labelling company pivotal to artificial intelligence training, at just 21 years old. By 30, she had achieved billionaire status.
‘AI companies had massive amounts of money to spend on training data, because the models are only as good as the data provided,’ she explains. In simpler terms, she adds: ‘If the data says the sky is red, AI doesn’t know that that’s not true. High-quality training data ensures models are outputting correct information.’
After two years, she left Scale AI with an estimated 5% stake. In April 2025, those insider shares were valued at $25 billion, making Lucy’s portion worth approximately $1.2 billion. ‘I wish it were liquid cash,’ she laughs.
Triple Workouts and Zero Days Off
So, what does a day in this life entail? After the pungent wake-up call, Lucy headed to the notoriously gruelling Barry’s Bootcamp for a double workout class. ‘I’ve gotten lazy; it used to be triple,’ she confesses. From there, it was straight to her 25,000 sq ft office just off Melrose Avenue, where she remained until 8pm without a lunch break, opting for a delivered meal eaten during meetings. ‘I’ll make sure it’s an internal one so I am not judged,’ she notes.
The work continues at home until midnight, or later if she chooses to stay up dancing with friends until 2am. This cycle repeats daily. ‘My genetics mean that I don’t need to sleep that much. Thank you, Mom and Dad,’ she offers by way of explanation. The concept of a day off is alien to her. ‘I tried the whole retirement thing and it didn’t work. The concept of an off day doesn’t make sense to me. I like using my brain.’
Building Empires and Embracing Controversy
Her drive isn't solely for personal gain. After ‘getting the itch’ to build again, Lucy founded Passes in 2022, a creator-driven platform she calls her other ‘business baby’. Inspired by figures like Kylie Jenner, she wanted to help others build lucrative brands. The platform allows creators to earn via merchandise, live streaming, and subscriptions, leading to comparisons with OnlyFans, though Lucy insists it’s closer to Patreon. ‘We’ve created a lot of millionaires, which is so exciting,’ she states proudly.
However, the venture has faced controversy. A class-action lawsuit was filed earlier this year by a creator alleging Passes hosted nude photos of her from before she turned 18. The subject was off-limits in our interview, with a company spokesperson providing a statement calling it an ‘orchestrated attempt to defame Passes and Ms. Guo’, and asserting the claims ‘have no basis in reality’.
Lucy’s business acumen was evident early. The daughter of Chinese immigrant engineers, she traded Pokémon cards on the playground. Her parents had hoped for a more conventional path. ‘They wanted me to be a pharmacist, so I could work three days a week, and spend the other four days dating,’ she recalls. Instead, she studied at Carnegie Mellon before dropping out after winning a $100,000 Thiel Fellowship.
Now, her parents have new requests: ‘They say to me, “You’re going to be single forever, but we still want grandchildren. You should find sperm donors and pop out three babies”.’ On dating, Lucy pauses. ‘People are intimidated by me… It takes a very secure person to date me.’ She admits the one sacrifice for her success has been ‘stability’. She sees her arrogance as a necessary trait: ‘Most founders lean towards arrogance because you have to be crazy, right?’
A Life of Experiences, Not Handbags
Despite her wealth, her spending is focused on experiences like obtaining a skydiving license, Pokémon collectables, motorcycles, and luxury properties in LA and Miami. You won’t find her buying Hermès. ‘I don’t own a bag. I don’t see the point. My phone has a little pocket for my credit cards,’ she explains.
As for the future of AI, which built her fortune, she is optimistic. ‘AI will make us more efficient in our jobs… Jobs that require a lot of human connections are going to become more in demand.’ And as for her title of youngest self-made female billionaire? She can’t wait to lose it. ‘I expect someone to crush me… that means that women are crushing it.’
With that, our 30 minutes are up. Lucy Guo has already moved on – her next meeting with the Passes design team awaits. The work, it seems, never stops.
