From school debate champions to Silicon Valley billionaires, these Indian-American innovators built an AI startup worth $10 billion — redefining success, ambition, and the future of tech.

Three college dropouts from California just made history. Brendan Foody, Adarsh Hiremath, and Surya Midha, the 22-year-old founders of Mercor, have become the world’s youngest self-made billionaires after their AI-driven recruiting startup hit a $10 billion valuation.

Their latest $350 million funding round sent shockwaves through the tech industry — officially dethroning Mark Zuckerberg, who first made the Forbes billionaire list at age 23.

From Debate Team to Billion-Dollar Dreams

The story began in San Jose, California, where Hiremath and Midha, both Indian-American, met at Bellarmine College Preparatory. The two quickly bonded over a shared passion for ideas and innovation, becoming the first debate duo ever to win all three major national policy tournaments in one year.

“My parents immigrated to the US from New Delhi, India. I was born in Mountain View and raised in San Jose,” Midha shares on his personal site — a humble reflection of his journey from a second-generation immigrant to billionaire entrepreneur.

After high school, their paths split but fate had other plans. Hiremath studied computer science at Harvard, while Midha and Foody attended Georgetown University. But by 2022, all three dropped out to chase their startup dream — a bold leap that would soon rewrite Silicon Valley history.

Building Mercor: AI That Transforms Recruiting

Launched in San Francisco, Mercor uses artificial intelligence to match job seekers with companies faster and more efficiently than traditional recruiting platforms. The idea struck a chord with investors, landing them $350 million in new funding and catapulting the company to unicorn status in record time.

“The thing that’s crazy for me,” Hiremath told Forbes, “is if I weren’t working on Mercor, I would have just graduated college a couple of months ago. My life did such a 180 in such a short period of time.”

Today, Foody leads as CEO, Hiremath as CTO, and Midha as Chairman of the Board — a trio that’s proving how AI innovation and youthful ambition can disrupt even the most competitive industries.

Backed by Billionaire Visionaries

Their rapid rise didn’t go unnoticed. All three founders are Thiel Fellows, a program created by billionaire investor Peter Thiel that funds young entrepreneurs who leave college to build world-changing startups.

They now join a growing list of Gen Z tech visionaries — including Shayne Coplan of Polymarket and Alexandr Wang of Scale AI — who are reshaping the future of business before the age of 30.

A New Generation of Indian-American Innovators

Beyond the billion-dollar headlines, the Mercor story highlights a larger shift: the growing influence of Indian-origin entrepreneurs in global tech. From Silicon Valley boardrooms to AI labs, their success underscores the power of education, community, and cross-cultural ambition.

These young founders embody the spirit of a generation unafraid to take risks, drop out, and build something extraordinary — one algorithm at a time.

The Billion-Dollar Lesson

At just 22, Foody, Hiremath, and Midha have achieved what most can only dream of — but their journey is just beginning. Their rise is more than a business story; it’s a reminder that vision, courage, and innovation can change the world, no matter how young you are.

Follow, share, or comment to celebrate the new generation of billionaires redefining tech and inspiring the next wave of global entrepreneurs.