Indeed, America is the incubator of ideas, the cradle of innovations, and the architect of billionaire-dollar careers. Evidently, recognition runs high for Kruti Patel Goyal, a new comer in the club of Indian American CEOs; Adarsh Kumar, who won the Global Student Prize from USA; Varun Mohan whom Google roped in for $2.4bn; Tejasvi Manoj whose AI app saves senior citizens from cyber scams. Now the American Dream of two Indian-origin college dropouts – Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha – hit the jackpot.
The college dropouts cum AI startup founders, Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha became the world’s youngest self-made billionaires only at 22, stealing the limelight from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who was the youngest billionaire at 23 in 2008. The Indian-American college friend duo, along with their business partner Brenden Foody, have reached this milestone after their startup – Mercor AI – is recently valued at USD 10 billion. What began as a simple AI-driven recruiting startup has now grown into one of the fastest-growing companies in the US Silicon Valley.
Who are Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha, the world’s youngest billionaires?
Born to Indian immigrants in California, Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha grew up imbibing core Indian values and listening to success stories of Silicon Valley ventures. Both attended Bellarmine College Preparatory, a Jesuit high school known for its academic excellence and award-winning debate team. That’s where they met and discovered their shared passion for technology and problem-solving.
Adarsh’s family traces its roots to Karnataka, while Surya’s parents migrated from New Delhi to the United States in the 1990s. Growing up as US citizens of Indian origin, they shared the discipline and determination of their immigrant families, while embracing the risk-taking mindset and problem-solving attitude of the West. This east-west cultural mix became the foundation of their entrepreneurial journey.
In 2023, they, along with their friend Brendan Foody, founded Mercor, aiming to connect software engineers from India and other emerging markets with tech companies in the US. As artificial intelligence gained global momentum, they quickly spotted a larger-than-life opportunity. The company pivoted from recruiting to providing “human-in-the-loop” AI training services, where real experts help improve AI models through data labeling, testing, and feedback. This shift defined Mercor’s meterio rise.
How Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha became billionaires at 22
Mercor AI’s stupendous valuation catapulted Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha to the league of Indian-origin billionaires, including the richest Indian American Jay Chaudhry. Powered by innovation and timing, Mercor now serves major AI labs like OpenAI and Anthropic, employing more than 30,000 global contractors, including engineers, lawyers, and medical professionals who assist in training large AI systems. The trio in the C-suite not only propelled Mercor into the global spotlight but also created history as the world’s youngest billionaires.
According to Forbes, the net worth of Adarsh Hiremath, Surya Midha, and Brendan Foody is based on Mercor’s $10bn valuation, not on liquid cash. Each of them reportedly owns about 22 percent of the company, which equals approximately $2.2 billion each on paper. Their net worth will multiply with the increasing valuation of Mercor AI. After raising $32 million in 2024 (Series A) and $100 million in early 2025 (Series B), Mercor closed a $350 million Series C round, which elevated its valuation to $10 billion.
This story is part of our continued series that gives a shoutout to achievements of Young Indians in America. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of IndianEagle.com, the most trusted air-ticketing partner of Indians and Americans. Best Indian Eagle flight deals make travel between USA and India cheaper, irrespective of routes.
