The world's 11 youngest billionaires: how did they get rich?

The 11 youngest billionaires in the world: how did they get rich?

Is it possible to become a billionaire at 20? The 2026 Forbes list provides a surprising answer to this question. While some of the world's youngest billionaires inherited vast fortunes, others launched technology businesses before even turning 20.

**Amelie Voigt Trejes, 20 years old**

Amelie is one of the world's youngest billionaires in 2026. She owns a share of the fortune left by her late grandfather, Werner Ricardo Voigt, who was one of the co-founders of Brazil's major industrial company WEG.

This 20-year-old billionaire owns approximately 2 percent of the company's shares. Forbes estimates her net worth at $1.1 billion.

**Johannes von Baumbach, 20 years old**

Johannes is the youngest heir to the Boehringer Ingelheim family fortune, a famous pharmaceutical giant in Germany. The company was founded in 1885 and remains under family control today.

Johannes's net worth is around $6.6 billion.

**Clemente Del Vecchio, 21 years old**

Clemente is the child of Leonardo Del Vecchio, the founder of "EssilorLuxottica", a world-renowned eyewear company. After his father passed away in 2022, he received a 12.5 percent stake in the family holding company.

Clemente's net worth is estimated by Forbes at $6.8 billion.

**Livia Voigt de Assis, 21 years old**

Livia is also a descendant of WEG founder Werner Voigt. She owns approximately a 3.1 percent stake in the company.

Forbes estimates this young person's net worth at $1.4 billion.

**Surya Midha, 22 years old**

Unlike those above, Surya Midha did not inherit his fortune. Together with two co-founders, he established an artificial intelligence company named "Mercor" in 2023. The company helps AI laboratories find specialists to train models.

Forbes listed Surya Midha in 2026 as the world's youngest self-made billionaire. His net worth is $2.2 billion.

**Brendan Foody, 22 years old**

He co-founded the company "Mercor" alongside Surya Midha and Adarsh Hiremath. Brendan Foody is the CEO of the company. In 2023, he dropped out of Georgetown University to focus fully on his startup.

According to Forbes estimates, Brendan Foody's net worth is $2.2 billion.

**Adarsh Hiremath, 22 years old**

He is also one of the three co-founders of "Mercor". Interestingly, all three co-founders set out to build a major company while still very young. "Mercor" assists companies working in the field of artificial intelligence to find qualified people and train AI models.

Hiremath's net worth according to Forbes estimates is $2.2 billion.

**Kim Jung-youn, 22 years old**

South Korean Kim Jung-youn's wealth is tied to the company "Nexon", founded by her father Kim Jung-ju. Nexon is one of the major companies in the online computer games sector.

After her father passed away in 2022, Kim and her sister each received approximately a 9 percent stake in the company.

Kim Jung-youn's net worth is around $1.7 billion.

**Felipe Voigt Trejes, 23 years old**

Felipe Voigt Trejes became a billionaire thanks to his family stake in WEG. His twin brother Pedro also possesses a billion-dollar fortune.

Felipe's net worth is estimated by Forbes at $1.1 billion.

**Pedro Voigt Trejes, 23 years old**

Pedro is Felipe's twin brother. He also holds a large family stake in WEG, the company founded by his grandfather.

Forbes estimates Pedro's net worth at $1.1 billion.

**Kevin David Lehmann, 23 years old**

Kevin inherited a 50 percent stake in Germany's famous dm-drogerie markt drugstore and household goods chain. Most interestingly, his father transferred this stake to him in 2017, when Kevin was just 14 years old.

In 2026, Forbes estimated his net worth at $4.9 billion.