Meet Lucy Guo: The Self-Made Tech Mogul Who Says "Act Poor, Stay Rich"


You Won't BELIEVE How This 30-Year-Old AI Billionaire Actually Lives (Seriously, It's Not What You Think!)

Meet Lucy Guo: The Tech Whiz Who Swears By "Act Poor, Stay Rich"

Hold up. When you hear "30-year-old billionaire," what pops into your head? Private jets, designer clothes dripping with logos, maybe a yacht (or three)? Well, prepare to have your mind blown, because Lucy Guo — a total powerhouse who made her fortune co-founding the AI giant Scale AI – is redefining what it means to be rich. With a jaw-dropping $1.3 billion net worth, she's proving that living large doesn't have to mean spending large.

Her Secret? Seriously Savvy Spending (She Even Uses Uber Eats Coupons!)

Lucy isn't about flashing her cash. "I don't like wasting money," this smart cookie told Fortune, and she genuinely lives by it. Forget the lavish displays; Lucy's daily life is surprisingly, well, normal.

Here’s a peek at how this tech mogul keeps it real:

  • Her Ride: Her assistant drives her around in an "old Honda Civic." No fancy sports cars for this billionaire!
  • Her Wardrobe: "Everything I wear is free or from Shein," she laughs. Yep, you read that right – a billionaire rocking Shein finds.
  • Dinner Plans: She's still hunting down those "buy one, get one free" deals on Uber Eats. Who can blame her, honestly?

Lucy, who's now leading the charge at Passes, a community platform for creators, sums up her philosophy perfectly: "Act like you're poor, stay rich." And you know what? It makes a lot of sense.

Why Billionaires Don't Need to Flex (But Millionaires Still Might!)

Lucy’s take on wealth is super refreshing. She sees a clear divide in how millionaires and billionaires tend to show off their money.

When Scale AI hit a dizzying $25 billion valuation back in April, Lucy's 5% stake shot up to an estimated $1.2 billion. That put her in an elite club of under-40 female billionaires, right alongside folks like Rihanna. And once you hit that level, she explains, the need to impress just... evaporates.

"Whoever you see typically splurging money on designer clothes, a nice car, etc., is technically in the millionaire range," Guo explains. She thinks many millionaires feel pressured to "be flashy" to prove their success, especially to their richer friends.

But for her? "I'm not showing off to anyone, right?" She's been there, done that, and moved past needing a Patek Philippe watch or a Hermès Birkin bag to prove her worth.

From Designer Dreams to Daily Jeans: Lucy's Style Journey

Lucy readily admits she might have indulged in designer items earlier in her career. It's a pretty common phase, she notes – when you're successful, but maybe not as successful as you want to be just yet.

"I think the reason why most billionaires wear a T-shirt and jeans and hoodies is because they can," she points out. They've already made their mark on the world. There’s no need to be in a suit 24/7.

"Nobody's going to look at me and point at me like, 'Ha ha, she's so broke' when I pull up in a Honda Civic because, whatever, it doesn't matter," she says with a confidence that only a billionaire could truly embody.

The "Frugal Billionaire" Club: Real or Just for Show?

Lucy isn't the only super-rich person to admit they're "pretty frugal." Many of the world's most powerful figures have embraced a "quiet luxury" vibe, opting for subtle, logo-free pieces that only other elites would recognize as super expensive. And then there are folks like Warren Buffett, who's famously "cheap."

But Lucy believes she's one of the few who are truly as "cheap" as they claim. She sees a lot of wealthy people adopting a "frugal" image to seem more relatable, especially in a world that can sometimes seem to "hate billionaires."

"I'm not saying it to be like, 'Let me show the world that I'm not like other billionaires,'" she clarifies. She's upfront about her past spending sprees and how she eventually came to that inevitable conclusion: "Why am I wasting my money on something that doesn't matter?"

What do you make of Lucy Guo's approach to money? Is it genuinely frugal living, or a whole new level of power play?