Name:
Alexandr Wang (Chinese: 汪滔)
Role:
Co-founder and CEO of Scale AI; Board Member of Expedia Group.
Net Worth:
As of March 2025, Alexandr Wang’s net worth is estimated at $2 billion, making him one of the youngest self-made billionaires in the world.
Profile Overview:
Alexandr Wang is an American entrepreneur and computer scientist renowned for founding Scale AI, a leading data annotation platform for training artificial intelligence (AI) models. Dropping out of MIT at age 19, Wang co-founded Scale AI in 2016 to address the growing need for high-quality training data in machine learning. Under his leadership, Scale AI has grown into a multi-billion-dollar company serving clients such as OpenAI, Toyota, and the U.S. Department of Defense. Recognized as one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in AI,” Wang is a prominent figure shaping the future of artificial intelligence.
Bio:
Born in Los Alamos, New Mexico, in 1997, Alexandr Wang grew up in a household steeped in science—his parents were physicists at Los Alamos National Laboratory. From an early age, Wang displayed exceptional talent in math and programming, qualifying for the USA Computing Olympiad and Math Olympiad Program as a teenager. He attended Los Alamos High School before enrolling at MIT at age 17 to study Mathematics and Computer Science.
While at MIT, Wang undertook graduate-level coursework in machine learning as a freshman. During a summer break after his first year, he co-founded Scale AI with Lucy Guo after participating in Y Combinator’s Spring 2016 batch. The venture quickly gained traction with funding from prominent investors like Peter Thiel and Greg Brockman. Wang left MIT to focus on building Scale AI full-time.
Scale AI initially focused on providing annotated data for computer vision applications but has since expanded to support autonomous vehicles, audio transcription, and large language models. By 2021, Scale AI reached a valuation of $7.3 billion, briefly making Wang the youngest self-made billionaire globally.
Alexandr Wang’s Role in Artificial Intelligence:
Alexandr Wang has been instrumental in advancing AI through his work at Scale AI. His company specializes in creating high-quality training datasets for machine learning models used in industries such as autonomous vehicles, defense, and e-commerce. Scale AI’s platforms enable developers to efficiently annotate data for applications ranging from computer vision to natural language processing.
Wang has also collaborated with governmental organizations like the Pentagon to evaluate the safety and reliability of large language models for military planning. His vision extends beyond technical innovation to ensuring that AI systems are developed responsibly and securely.
Nationality:
American
Age:
27 years old (as of March 21, 2025).
Educational Qualification:
- High School: Los Alamos High School.
- Undergraduate Studies: Briefly attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before dropping out.
Sources of Wealth:
- Scale AI: Co-founder and CEO of a company valued at over $7 billion.
- Investments: Backed by prominent Silicon Valley investors such as Peter Thiel and Greg Brockman.
- Defense Contracts: Collaborations with the U.S. Department of Defense.
- Board Memberships: Member of Expedia Group’s board since 2023.
- Speaking Engagements & Recognition: Featured on Forbes’s “30 Under 30” list and Time magazine’s “100 Next.”
Random Fact:
Alexandr Wang started Scale AI during a summer break from MIT, initially telling his parents it was just a temporary project before deciding to pursue it full-time.
Alexandr Wang’s entrepreneurial journey reflects his ability to identify critical gaps in AI infrastructure and address them effectively through innovation. His leadership at Scale AI continues to shape advancements in artificial intelligence across industries globally.
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