His family could not even afford a India trip. Now, the Indian-American is among America’s youngest billionaires. Meet Baiju Bhatt of Robinhood

Baiju Bhatt, 40, the Indian-American co-founder of Robinhood, is now the youngest Indian-origin entrepreneur on the Forbes US billionaires list, with a net worth of $6 billion. Yet his early life was far from affluent. In a recent interview with Shawn Ryan, Bhatt revealed that his family faced severe financial challenges while his father battled kidney failure. “We were not terribly well-to-do. My dad was on dialysis. I was just a little kid,” Bhatt said. The family could not even afford trips back to India, with their last visit in 1997-98.

Stanford to Startup

Bhatt’s journey from Poquoson, Virginia, to Stanford University laid the foundation for his future success. Following in his father’s academic footsteps, he earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s in mathematics from Stanford. There, he met Vlad Tenev, with whom he would co-found Robinhood in 2013. Initially focusing on design and product development, Bhatt emphasized user research, even approaching fellow students for feedback, leading to Robinhood winning an Apple Design Award in 2015.

Robinhood’s rise has been meteoric. Its stock surged 400% in the past year, driven by crypto trading, new offerings like IRAs and high-yield savings accounts, and a record $3 billion in revenue for 2024. Bhatt served as co-CEO alongside Tenev until 2020, then as chief creative officer, before stepping down from executive duties in 2024. Despite leaving day-to-day operations, he retains a 6% stake and a seat on the board.

Turning Adversity into Ambition

Reflecting on his childhood struggles, Bhatt recalled, “I felt so unbelievably lost. My dad’s health worsened, and I had no siblings, no backup. Life felt rudderless.” These early hardships instilled resilience that fueled his entrepreneurial drive, transforming him from a boy witnessing his father’s medical battles into a visionary shaping the future of financial technology.

Aetherflux and Space Energy

Bhatt did not stop at fintech. In October 2024, he launched Aetherflux, a space-based solar energy startup aiming to collect solar energy via satellites and beam it to remote regions. He is also an investor in multiple private space ventures, including Reflect Orbit and Apex, signaling a bold vision for energy and technology on a global scale.