The Forbes 400 list for 2025 has named Indian-American entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt among the 10 youngest billionaires in the United States. At 40, Bhatt stands out as the only individual of Indian origin on the list, joining names such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Walmart heir Lukas Walton.
Bhatt’s wealth, estimated at $6 billion, primarily comes from his 6% stake in Robinhood, the stock trading platform he co-founded with Vlad Tenev in 2013. The company went public during the pandemic-fueled retail trading boom of 2021 and has seen its stock value soar by nearly 400% in the last year. This growth was powered by record revenues of $3 billion in 2024, increased cryptocurrency activity, and new products like IRAs and high-yield savings accounts.
Bhatt played a key leadership role in Robinhood, serving as co-CEO until 2020 and later as chief creative officer until stepping down in 2024. Although no longer involved in daily operations, he continues to serve on the company’s board.
Expanding beyond fintech, Bhatt launched Aetherflux in 2024, a space-based solar energy startup headquartered in San Carlos. The company’s mission is to develop a satellite constellation to capture solar energy in space and beam it to Earth using infrared technology, with the goal of supplying power to remote regions. He has also invested in other space-focused ventures such as Reflect Orbit and Apex.
Born in Virginia to Gujarati immigrant parents, Bhatt experienced financial struggles after his father, a NASA scientist, had to abandon doctoral studies due to kidney failure. Despite hardships, Bhatt excelled academically, earning a bachelor’s in physics and a master’s in mathematics from Stanford University in 2008, where he met Tenev and began his entrepreneurial journey.
