A Day in the Life of Lucy Guo
Lucy Guo, the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire, has a unique approach to time management. Her day begins at 6pm London time, which translates to 10am in Los Angeles where she resides. As the clock strikes, she joins a Zoom call precisely on time, showcasing her disciplined nature.
Despite her busy schedule, unexpected moments like her two cats, Chili and Sega, waking her up at 5am add a touch of chaos to her routine. “One was pooping very heavily. It was like a little robot going and going, so my room smelled,” she says with a smile that never leaves her face during their conversation.
Lucy’s journey to success began with Scale AI, an artificial intelligence data-labelling company she launched in 2016 at just 21 years old. By the age of 30, she had achieved a billion-dollar net worth. “AI companies had massive amounts of money to spend on training data because the models are only as good as the data provided,” she explains. Simplifying it further, she adds, “If the data says the sky is red, AI doesn’t know that that’s not true. High-quality training data ensures models are outputting correct information.”
After two years, Lucy left the company with an estimated 5% stake. This April, the insider shares were valued at $25 billion, making her cut approximately $1.2 billion. “I wish it were liquid cash,” she laughs.
Her daily routine includes a double workout class at Barry’s Bootcamp, a notoriously tough fitness regimen. “I’ve gotten lazy; it used to be triple.” Afterward, she heads to her 25,000 sqft office off Melrose Avenue, where she remains until 8pm without taking a lunch break. Instead, she orders food via Uber Eats to keep her sustained during meetings. “I’ll make sure it’s an internal one so I am not judged,” she adds.
Lucy’s day isn’t over after work. She continues working at home in the evening before heading to bed at midnight or dancing with friends until 2am. “My genetics mean that I don’t need to sleep that much. Thank you, Mom and Dad,” she says, highlighting her unique ability to function on minimal sleep.
Business-Minded
Lucy’s motivation comes from her love for using her brain. “I tried the whole retirement thing and it didn’t work. The concept of an off day doesn’t make sense to me,” she admits. Her passion for business extends beyond her initial success. She founded Passes, a creator-driven platform in 2022, which allows creators to earn money through merchandise, live streaming, or subscriptions. While comparisons to OnlyFans have been made, Lucy insists it’s more similar to Patreon.
However, her ventures haven’t been without controversy. A class-action lawsuit was filed earlier this year by a creator who claims Passes hosted and distributed nude photos of her in the month before her 18th birthday. The company issued a statement calling the filing an “orchestrated attempt to defame Passes and Ms. Guo,” claiming the claims have no basis in reality.
Early Indicators of Success
Lucy’s entrepreneurial spirit began in childhood. “My parents instilled values of making money, so I was always trying to start little businesses on the playground,” she recalls. She would trade up Pokémon cards and sell the better ones for more dollars. Despite her parents’ expectations of her becoming a pharmacist, Lucy pursued computer science and human-computer interaction at Carnegie Mellon University.
Her parents still hope for grandchildren, joking about finding sperm donors. “They say to me, ‘You’re going to be single forever, but we still want grandchildren. You should find sperm donors and pop out three babies so we can be grandparents.’” Lucy takes a rare pause when asked if she feels the same way. “People are intimidated by me… It takes a very secure person to date me if I’m completely honest.”
Never Switching Off
Lucy works every single day, including weekends and holidays, and finds the concept of an off day unappealing. “I don’t understand it,” she says, baffled by others’ reluctance to answer emails. She considers herself an ethical billionaire, regularly investing in other people’s businesses through Backend Capital, a venture capital firm.
“I don’t forget about basic human decency and being nice,” she says. “I’m constantly trying to help people. That’s how I am in my life, it’s all about energies, right?”
Lucy believes in manifestation, stating, “If you believe in something and you want it badly enough, it comes. The world works that way.” She also enjoys experiences, spending on skydiving licenses, Pokémon collectables, motorcycles, and luxury properties in LA and Miami.
The Future of AI
Lucy is excited about the future of AI, believing it will make us more efficient in our jobs. “It’s good at repeatable, mundane tasks, so we can focus our brain power on the more exciting stuff. Jobs that require a lot of human connections are going to become more in demand, too. I’m very excited for the world.”
As for her title of youngest self-made female billionaire, Lucy hopes someone else will take it soon. “I can’t wait for someone else to have it because that means that women are crushing it. It will happen very soon because AI companies are growing faster than anyone could have predicted.”
Lucy’s dedication to her work is evident, as she moves on to her next appointment with the Passes design team, offering detailed feedback on the platform. It’s clear that the work doesn’t stop, and neither does Lucy.