Chicago: Indian-American entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of the trading platform Robinhood, has earned a place among the 10 youngest billionaires in the United States, according to the 2025 Forbes 400 list. At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this elite group, with an estimated net worth of $6–7 billion, largely tied to his six percent stake in Robinhood.
Born to Gujarati parents who immigrated to the United States, Bhatt grew up in Virginia after his family relocated when his father pursued a PhD. His father later worked as a scientist at NASA, but the family’s early years were marked by financial hardship, especially after his father was diagnosed with kidney failure. Despite these challenges, Bhatt excelled academically, studying physics and later earning a master’s degree in mathematics from Stanford University.
It was at Stanford that he met Vlad Tenev, with whom he launched Robinhood in 2013. The fintech company disrupted the brokerage industry by introducing commission-free trading, later expanding into retirement accounts and high-yield savings products. Robinhood went public in 2021 with a $32 billion valuation, a defining moment that solidified Bhatt and Tenev’s reputations in Silicon Valley.
Bhatt served as Robinhood’s co-CEO until 2020 before becoming its chief creative officer. In 2024, he stepped down from day-to-day executive responsibilities but continues to serve on the board, maintaining significant influence in the company’s direction. His wealth has grown substantially in the past year, thanks in part to Robinhood’s stock price, which surged by 400 percent amid strong crypto-related sales and new product launches. The company generated $3 billion in revenue in 2024 alone.
The Forbes 400 underscores how rare it is to achieve such fortune at a relatively young age. The average member is 70 years old, with several nonagenarians still on the list. This year’s ranking includes 33 billionaires under 50, with Bhatt joining other newcomers such as Surge AI founder Edwin Chen and his own Robinhood co-founder Vlad Tenev.
For Bhatt, the recognition carries personal weight. He has spoken about the sacrifices his family made during his childhood, recalling that financial strain once made it impossible to visit India. Nearly three decades later, he stands as one of the youngest billionaires in America and the only Indian-origin figure among them, a testament to resilience, vision, and the transformative power of technology.
