A former Brazilian ballet dancer has claimed the title of world’s youngest self-made female billionaire at age 29, dethroning both prominent pop star Taylor Swift and an artificial intelligence executive.
Luana Lopes Lara achieved billionaire status through her prediction market company, which recently reached an $11 billion valuation.
Her personal net worth now stands at $1.3 billion, according to Forbes.
The announcement marks a shift in the rankings that have changed hands multiple times in recent months.
Lucy Guo, who co-founded Scale AI, previously held the distinction since June at age 31 with a net worth of $1.3 billion.
Guo’s rise to billionaire status came through the AI company she helped establish at just 21 years old.
Before Guo, Swift held the title after her highly successful 2023 Eras tour propelled her wealth past that of Kylie Jenner.
Lopes Lara’s path to financial success began far from the business world.
The Brazilian entrepreneur trained at the prestigious Bolshoi Theater School in her home country, dedicating herself to classical ballet.
After completing her studies, she relocated to Austria with aspirations of pursuing a professional dance career.
She spent nine months performing in Europe before making a dramatic career pivot.
The decision to leave performing arts led Lopes Lara to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she enrolled to study computer science.
During her time at MIT, she met Tarek Mansour, who would become her business partner.
Both individuals gained experience in the financial sector before launching their venture, according to the New York Post.
Lopes Lara worked at Citadel Securities as a market maker, while Mansour held a position at Citadel hedge fund.
The pair secured internships at Five Rings Capital in New York City in 2018.
During their evenings in Manhattan, they conceptualized what would become their prediction market enterprise, which they formally established that same year.
Their research revealed that numerous financial decisions depended on predictions about future events, yet no direct method existed for trading on those outcomes.
This gap in the market formed the foundation for their business model.
The company, named Kalshi, required significant dedication during its early stages.
Lopes Lara and Mansour devoted the COVID pandemic period to building their platform, securing regulatory approval, and attracting major investors including Charles Schwab and Sequoia Capital.
“Right out of college, we were taking on an insane amount of risk. It was two years without a single product — nothing launched — and if we didn’t get regulated, the company would just go to zero,” Lopes Lara said, according to the Post.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission granted Kalshi approval in November 2020. Two years later, Forbes recognized the company on its 30 Under 30 list.
Kalshi achieved a significant legal victory before the 2024 presidential election, becoming the first company authorized to offer legal election contracts in the United States.
“We really wanted to do things the right way because our vision was to build the biggest financial exchange in the world,” Lopes Lara said.
“Doing it legally was something we couldn’t compromise on.”
