22 and Billionaires! Indian-Origin Duo Creates History in Silicon Valley

Two 22-year-old Indian-origin entrepreneurs have made history by becoming the youngest self-made billionaires ever, breaking the record once held by Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg.

The duo, Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha, alongside their co-founder Brendan Foody, achieved billionaire status after their San Francisco–based startup Mercor—an AI-powered recruitment platform—hit a $10 billion valuation following a $350 million Series C funding round led by Felicis Ventures, with participation from Benchmark, General Catalyst, and Robinhood Ventures.

Hiremath serves as the Chief Technology Officer, Midha as the Chairman, and Foody as the CEO, each holding approximately 22% equity in the company.

Mercor, founded in 2023, aims to revolutionize global hiring by leveraging artificial intelligence to connect top talent with AI-driven companies. In a statement, CEO Brendan Foody said,

“This round values Mercor at $10 billion — five times our Series B valuation. Our mission is to unlock human potential by connecting experts with the AI enterprises shaping tomorrow.”

Starting from their dorm rooms at Harvard and Georgetown, the trio built Mercor into a platform with over 100,000 users across 25 countries, generating seven-figure annual recurring revenue before raising major funding.

Mercor’s AI system analyzes resumes, GitHub profiles, and personal websites to build in-depth applicant profiles. Its AI interviewers then conduct smart, automated interviews to match ideal candidates for companies.

Currently, Mercor manages over 30,000 contractors earning a combined $1.5 million daily, as it continues refining its AI to think more like humans by incorporating context and experience into its algorithms.

With this milestone, Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha have etched their names in history — not just as tech prodigies, but as the youngest billionaires transforming the global AI job market.