Robinhood Co-founder Baiju Bhatt Lands On Forbes’ Youngest Billionaires List

Photo: Twitter

India-West News Desk

MENLO PARK, CA — Indian American entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of the stock trading platform Robinhood, has earned a spot on Forbes’ 2025 list of the 10 youngest billionaires in America. At 40, he is the only individual of Indian origin to feature on the prestigious list, which also includes Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, 41, and Walmart heir Luke Walton, 38.

Bhatt’s rise to billionaire status began at Stanford University, where he earned a master’s degree in mathematics in 2008 after studying physics. There, he met fellow student Vlad Tenev, with whom he launched Robinhood in 2013. The app revolutionized retail investing by offering commission-free trades, eventually becoming a household name during the pandemic-era trading boom.

Bhatt served as Robinhood’s co-CEO until 2020 before moving into the role of chief creative officer. In 2024, he stepped down from day-to-day operations but continues to sit on the company’s board, maintaining a significant 6% stake.

According to Forbes, his net worth now stands at $6 billion, fueled by Robinhood’s remarkable turnaround over the past year. The company’s stock has soared nearly 400%, driven by surging crypto transactions, new offerings such as IRAs, and a record $3 billion in revenue in 2024.

Bhatt’s story, however, is rooted in resilience as much as success. The son of Gujarati immigrants, he grew up in Poquoson, Virginia, after his father moved to the U.S. to pursue a PhD at the University of Huntsville, Alabama. Life took a difficult turn when his father was diagnosed with kidney failure while Bhatt was just five years old. Forced to abandon his studies, his father worked to cover medical expenses, plunging the family into financial strain.

Today, Bhatt’s journey from those modest beginnings to becoming a billionaire underscores not just entrepreneurial vision but also perseverance in the face of adversity, media reports have pointed out.