Taylor Swift has been unseated as the worlds youngest self-made female billionaire, according to Forbes — by a 30-year-old, hard-partying college dropout who has reaped a windfall from the artificial intelligence boom.
Lucy Guo — a self-professed workaholic who rides an electric skateboard to work when she’s not being chauffeured by an assistant — has a net worth of $1.3 billion, according to Forbes list of Americas Richest Self-Made Women released on Wednesday.
Guo took Swift’s title of world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire in April, when it was reported that Scale AI — the firm she co-founded with Alexandr Wang in 2016 when she was just 21 and he was 19 — had been valued at $25 billion in a deal set to close by June 1.
The tender offer has not been finalized yet, but it is expected to close at that valuation in a few weeks, a source familiar with the matter told The Post.
The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Guo was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she quickly picked up coding in middle school. She dropped out of Carnegie Mellon University as she clinched a $100,000 entrepreneurial scholarship bankrolled by billionaire investor Peter Thiel.
She took a job in 2015 at Quora, where she met Wang, and later worked at Snapchat for a brief period as the company’s first female designer.
At Scale AI, Guo ran the operations and production design teams until Wang, who took the chief executive position, reportedly fired her after the two sparred over how the company should be run.
We had a difference of opinion but I am proud of what Scale AI has accomplished, Guo told the tech news site The Information last year.
Still, Guo kept most of her 5% stake in Scale AI, which is worth approximately $1.2 billion, according to Forbes. The firm labels data used by tech giants like OpenAI and Alphabet to train their chatbots.
With “a swanky apartment in Miami” and a house in Los Angeles, Guo has admitted she never buys groceries or cooks, instead ordering all of her meals from Uber Eats.
She says she works at least eight hours a day when on vacation and has boasted about taking two Barry’s bootcamp fitness classes a day. She frequently attends techno raves.
A lot of people dont like me because, honestly, I seem like an ahole online. I would not like me on the internet, she told The Post in 2022. But Ive made a lot of friends because I think people appreciate my savage personality.
The Post previously reported on her massive collection of Pokemon paraphernalia — including slippers, stuffed animals, artwork and a Swarovski-crystal necklace.
She now runs Passes, a content creation platform that has been dubbed the family-friendly version of OnlyFans and Patreon, claiming to “make millionaires” by allowing creators to hold onto 90% of their earnings.
Passes reaped $40 million last year in a Series A funding round, according to Fortune — allowing Guo to fund her lavish party-girl lifestyle.
But now Passes and Guo are facing allegations that the platform allowed child pornography in a class action suit filed in February.
The bombshell suit accuses Alec Celestin, an agent at Passes, and Lani Ginoza, the site’s director of talent, of knowingly allowing sexually explicit content featuring OnlyFans model Alice Rosenblum — who was underage at the time — to circulate on Passes.
“Guo personally intervened to override Passes strict internal safety controls tailored for creators of social media content aged between 15 and 17 years old to strip and deprive Plaintiff of any protections offered by Passes against the exploitation of a minor, the complaint alleged.
Just before the suit was filed, Passes banned all underage creators and wiped the site of their content, according to Forbes.
Lawyers for Guo filed a motion in April to dismiss the suit, which they slammed as a defamatory attempt to “pursue the ‘deep pockets’ of Passes, a successful startup, and its wealthy founder.”
“This lawsuit is part of an orchestrated attempt to defame Passes and Ms. Guo, and these claims have no basis in reality,” Rollo Baker of Elsberg Baker & Mauriri told The Post.
“Ms. Guo and Passes categorically reject the baseless allegations made against them in the lawsuit, which was only filed against them after they rejected a $15 million payment demand.
In between founding Scale AI and Passes, Guo started a small investment firm known as Backend Capital.
Guo landed at No. 26 on Forbes list of Americas Richest Self-Made Women, while Swift came in at spot 21.
Swift still holds the title of world’s richest female musician with a net worth of $1.6 billion, after her blowout-success international “Eras Tour” pushed her into billionaire status in October 2023.
Diane Hendricks took the top spot, with a $22.3 billion net worth thanks to her company ABC Supply, one of the largest distributors of roofing, siding and windows in the country.
No deal has been reached to end the war in Ukraine – but Donald Trump has said there are “many points” he and Vladimir Putin agreed on during their highly anticipated summit.
Following the meeting in Alaska, which lasted more than two-and-a-half hours, the two leaders gave a short media conference giving little detail about what had been discussed, and without taking questions.
Mr Trump described the meeting as “very productive” and said there were “many points that we agreed on… I would say a couple of big ones”.
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2:20
Key moments from Trump-Putin news conference
But there are a few left, he added. “Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there…
“We haven’t quite got there, we’ve made some headway. There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
Mr Putin described the negotiations as “thorough and constructive” and said Russiawas “seriously interested in putting an end” to the war in Ukraine. He also warned Europe not to “torpedo nascent progress”.
Image: Donald Trump greets Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Pic: AP/ Julia Demaree Nikhinson
After much build-up to the summit – with the US president threatening “severe” consequences for Russia should it not go well – it was ultimately not clear whether the talks had produced meaningful steps towards a ceasefire in what has been the deadliest conflict in Europe in 80 years.
Mr Trump said he intended to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders, who were excluded from the discussions, to brief them.
Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, the US leader ended his remarks with a thank you, and said he would probably see Mr Putin again “very soon”.
When the Russian president suggested that “next time” would be Moscow, he responded by saying he might face criticism, but “I could see it possibly happening”.
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2:10
Trump applauds Putin and shares ride in ‘The Beast’
The red carpet treatment
The news conference came after a grand arrival at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage, where the US president stepped down from Air Force One and later greeted his Russian counterpart with a handshake and smiles on a red carpet.
Mr Putin even travelled alongside Mr Trump in the presidential limousine, nicknamed “The Beast”.
It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies, belying the bloodshed and the suffering in the war.
Before the talks, the two presidents ignored frantically-shouted questions from journalists – and Mr Putin appeared to frown when asked by one reporter if he would stop “killing civilians” in Ukraine, putting his hand to his ear as though to indicate he could not hear.
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3:22
‘Fury, anger and disgust’ in Ukraine
Our US correspondent Martha Kelner, on the ground in Alaska, said he was shouting “let’s go” – apparently in reference to getting the reporters out of the room.
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3:02
What we learned from Trump-Putin news conference
A ’10/10′ meeting
During his first day back in the White House in January, Mr Trump had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war in Ukraine.
But seven months later, after infamously berating Mr Zelenskyy during a meeting at the Oval Office in February, and then stanching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, he still does not appear to have brought a pause to the conflict.
In an interview with Fox News before leaving Alaska, Mr Trump described the meeting with Mr Putin as “warm” and gave it a “10/10”, but declined to give details about what they discussed.
He also insisted that the onus going forward could be on Mr Zelenskyy “to get it done”, but said there would also be some involvement from European nations.
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7:06
Trump’s body language was ‘disappointed’
What happens next?
Mr Trump is expected to speak to Mr Zelenskyy, Sir Keir Starmer and European leaders about the talks.
A meeting of ambassadors from European countries has been scheduled for 8.30am UK time, EU presidency sources have told Sky News.
European heads of state and Mr Trump are also likely to have a virtual meeting later in the day.
Despite the US president’s efforts to bring about a ceasefire, Russian attacks on Ukraine have only intensified in the past few months.
A warm handshake, big smiles, and a red carpet – this was the welcome for Vladimir Putin as he touched down on US soil for critical negotiations on the war in Ukraine.
There had been much build-up to the summit in Anchorage, Alaska,not least from Donald Trump himself – with the US president having threatened “severe” consequences for Russiashould it not go well.
Image: Pic: AP/ Julia Demaree Nikhinson
But more than two-and-a-half hours of talks resulted in just a brief news conference with little detail given away – and ultimately, no talk of a ceasefire and no deal on Ukrainereached yet.
Here is what was expected from the meeting – based on information from the White House, Mr Trump and the Kremlin beforehand – and what happened on the night.
One-on-one turned into three-on-three
Image: Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US secretary of state Marco Rubio also attended the talks. Pic: AP/ Julia Demaree Nikhinson
It was thought this would be a one-on-one meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Putin.
Instead, the US president was joined by US secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, while the Russian leader was supported by his foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.
The change seemed to indicate the White House was perhaps taking a more guarded approach than during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, where Mr Trump and Mr Putin met privately with interpreters. The US leader then shocked the world by siding with the Russian leader over US intelligence officials on whether Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential campaign.
Rolling out the red carpet
Image: Pic: AP/ Julia Demaree Nikhinson
Mr Putin was given the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies, belying the bloodshed and the suffering in the war he started.
The two men greeted each other with a handshake and a smiling Mr Trump even applauded the Russian president as he approached him on the red carpet.
Our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn, in Kyiv, gauged the Ukrainian reaction to the arrival – and said people were furious at the welcome extended by the Trump team.
Images of US soldiers on their knees, unfurling the red carpet at the steps of the Russian leader’s plane, went viral, he said, with social media “lit up with fury, anger, and disgust”.
He added: “There are different ways of welcoming a world leader to this type of event, and Trump has gone all out to give a huge welcome to Putin, which is sticking in the craw of Ukrainians.”
Any questions?
Image: Pic: Reuters/ Kevin Lamarque
Plenty. But no one was really given a chance to ask.
Ahead of the talks, cameras were allowed inside for just a minute – and while this was enough time for a few journalists to shout some questions, these were ignored by the two leaders.
“President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?” one shouted. In response, Mr Putin put his hand up to his ear as if he could not hear.
In their brief media conference after the talks, Mr Putin spoke for almost nine minutes, while Trump took just three-and-a-half to say what he wanted to say.
The two men then did not stay to answer questions from reporters.
Before the event, the Kremlin said it could last between six and seven hours, but the whole visit lasted about four-and-a-half hours.
‘Severe consequences’
Image: Pic: AP/ Julia Demaree Nikhinson
Ever since his inauguration in January, Mr Trump had been threatening serious consequences for Russia should a deal on Ukraine not be reached soon. Just two days after the ceremony, he took to social media to declare there could be “high levels of taxes, tariffs and sanctions” and called for an end to the “ridiculous” war.
In February, he held what he described as a “productive” call with the Russian leader, and about two weeks later he infamously berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a visit to the Oval Office – this one taking place in front of the world’s media.
In July, he started to set deadlines for an end to the war – first giving Mr Putin 50 days and later reducing this to “10 or 12 days”, before announcing the summit last week.
Yesterday, Mr Trump insisted his Russian counterpart was “not going to mess around with me”.
However, while both men insisted the talks were “productive”, it is not clear what agreements have been reached, and whether Ukraine is any closer to finding peace. The word ceasefire was not mentioned by either leader. Instead, they praised each other, with Mr Trump describing Mr Putin’s remarks as “very profound” – and there was no mention of sanctions.
A meeting with Mr Zelenskyy?
Image: Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy met at the White House in February. Pic: Reuters/ Brian Snyder
It was expected that after the talks, Mr Trump could set the table for the next meeting with the Ukrainian president.
While he said he would call Mr Zelenskyy, he made no public commitment to a meeting during the media conference.
In an interview with Fox News after the summit, he said Russia and Ukraine would set a date to discuss next steps and a potential ceasefire deal, but did not provide further details on specifics or timings.
“They’re going to set up a meeting now, between President Zelenskyy and President Putin and myself, I guess,” Mr Trump said. He also said that European nations “have to get involved a little bit” but it is “really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done”.
Putin brought his own limo – but travelled in The Beast instead
Image: A US Secret Service agent stands next to ‘The Beast’. Pic: AP/ Luis M Alvarez
After shaking hands on the red carpet, the two leaders made their way towards their waiting vehicles.
But despite Mr Putin arriving with his “Aurus” limousine, and it being spotted on the tarmac near the planes, he got into the American presidential limousine, known as “The Beast”, to travel to the meeting location.
The Russian president was seen with a wide smile on his face, while Mr Trump appeared to be waving to the crowds.
The presidents of the United States and Russia wrapped up critical talks in Alaska without reaching a deal on ending the war in Ukraine.
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were on the ground in Anchorage, Alaska, for only about six hours, but the historic yet inconclusive summit still produced some memorable moments.
Both leaders spoke at a news conference, but neither mentioned a ceasefire – something many hoped Mr Trump could persuade Mr Putin to accept during the discussions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who didn’t participate in the talks in Alaska, had said that Ukraine was “counting on America”.
Image: The two leaders meeting each other. Pic: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
Image: Pic: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
Image: Mr Trump arriving on Air Force One. Pic: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/PA
Image: Mr Putin steps off the Ilyushin Il-96. Pic: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
Image: A red carpet was laid out for the Russian leader. Pic: Julia Demaree Nikhinson
Image: Pic: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
Image: Not far from the military base, several hundred people joined a pro-Ukraine rally. Pic: Nathaniel Wilder/Reuters
Image: They unfurled this huge flag. AP Photo/Jae C Hong
Image: The two leaders held a joint news conference after their discussion. Pic: Reuters
Image: Pic: Sergei Bobylev/ Sputnik/ Kremlin pool via AP
Image: Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and US secretary of state Marco Rubio. Pic: AP
Image: Pic: Reuters
Image: Pic: Jae C Hong/PA
Image: Pic: Kevin Lamarque/Reutrs
Image: Pic: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Image: Pic: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
Image: President Trump waves goodbye as he boards Air Force One after the meeting. Pic: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/PA