Imagine becoming a billionaire before you’re even old enough to rent a car in most countries. Sounds impossible, right? But that’s exactly what three 22-year-old Indian-origin school friends have achieved, shattering records and redefining what’s possible for young entrepreneurs. Meet the founders of Mercor, a groundbreaking AI recruiting startup, who have just been crowned the world’s youngest self-made billionaires—eclipsing even Mark Zuckerberg, who made the Forbes list at 23. And this is the part most people miss: their journey didn’t start in Silicon Valley boardrooms but in the debate halls of an all-boys high school in San Jose, California.
Surya Midha and Adarsh Hiremath, both Indian Americans, first crossed paths at Bellarmine College Preparatory, where they weren’t just classmates—they were debate legends. Together, they became the first duo to sweep all three national policy debate tournaments in a single year, a feat that foreshadowed their future success. Midha, a second-generation immigrant whose parents moved from New Delhi to the U.S., and Hiremath, who later studied computer science at Harvard before dropping out, teamed up with Brendan Foody, an economics student from Georgetown. Their shared vision? To revolutionize the recruiting industry with AI.
But here’s where it gets controversial: all three left prestigious universities to pursue Mercor full-time, a move that raises the question—is dropping out of college the new pathway to success for young entrepreneurs? Their decision paid off spectacularly when Mercor secured $350 million in funding, valuing the company at a staggering $10 billion. This catapulted the trio into billionaire status, with Foody as CEO, Hiremath as CTO, and Midha as board chairman.
What’s even more remarkable is their support from the Thiel Fellowship, founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, which encourages young talent to skip college and build startups. This begs another thought-provoking question: Are traditional education systems holding back the next generation of innovators? Or is there still value in completing a degree?
Mercor’s rise comes at a time when young entrepreneurs are making waves across industries. Just weeks ago, 27-year-old Shayne Coplan joined the billionaire club with his cryptocurrency platform Polymarket, and before that, Scale AI’s Alexandr Wang held the title. But Mercor’s founders stand out not just for their age but for their audacious leap of faith—leaving Ivy League schools to bet on their vision.
As Hiremath reflected in a Forbes interview, ‘My life did such a 180 in such a short period of time.’ And now, they’re challenging the status quo, proving that age and degrees aren’t prerequisites for success. So, here’s the question for you: Do you think dropping out of college is a risky gamble or a bold necessity for today’s entrepreneurs? Let’s debate it in the comments—just like Midha and Hiremath did in high school, but this time, the stakes are even higher.
