Source: Financial Times
AI Data Infrastructure
In the fast-paced world of artificial intelligence, few figures embody the blend of youthful ambition and technological prowess quite like Alexandr Wang. At just 28 years old, Wang has already etched his name into the annals of tech history as the co-founder and former CEO of Scale AI, a company pivotal to the AI revolution. His journey from a coding whiz in New Mexico to leading a multi-billion-dollar enterprise—and now spearheading Meta’s quest for superintelligence—highlights the transformative power of data in AI. This article explores Wang’s early life, career milestones, the rise of Scale AI, and his latest ventures, offering a glimpse into how one individual’s vision is shaping the future of technology.
Early Life: Roots in Science and Innovation
Alexandr Wang was born in 1997 in Los Alamos, New Mexico, to Chinese immigrant parents who were physicists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the birthplace of the atomic bomb. Growing up in this hub of scientific inquiry, Wang was immersed in an environment that valued problem-solving and technological advancement. His parents’ work on national security projects instilled in him a sense of duty toward building tools that serve society and government. From a young age, Wang displayed exceptional talent in mathematics and programming. He entered his first math contest in sixth grade, motivated by the prize of a trip to Disney World, which he won. By his teenage years, he had qualified for the USA Math Olympiad Program in 2013 and the US Physics Team in 2014, earning recognition as one of the top 20 physics students in the nation through the USA Physics Olympiad. By his teenage years, he had qualified for the USA Math Olympiad Program in 2013 and the US Physics Team in 2014, earning recognition as one of the top 20 physics students in the nation through the USA Physics Olympiad.
During high school, Wang secured internships and full-time engineering roles in Silicon Valley, including positions at fintech firm Addepar and question-and-answer platform Quora, where he worked as a tech lead from 2014 to 2016. At Quora, he encountered the challenges of machine learning infrastructure, particularly the scarcity of high-quality training data—a problem that would later define his entrepreneurial path. He also briefly worked as an algorithm developer at Hudson River Trading in 2016.
Education and the Leap to Entrepreneurship
At 17, Wang enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to study machine learning and computer science, diving into graduate-level courses as a freshman. However, after just one year, he dropped out in 2016 to pursue real-world opportunities, joining the Y Combinator accelerator program. This bold move echoed the paths of tech icons like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, driven by Wang’s impatience to build something impactful. The catalyst for his startup came from a personal experiment: while at MIT, Wang attempted to build an AI-powered camera system to catch a food thief in his dorm fridge but struggled with insufficient training data. This frustration revealed a critical bottleneck in AI development—data labeling—and inspired him to co-found Scale AI with Lucy Guo in June 2016, at the age of 19.
Founding and Building Scale AI
Scale AI started as a data annotation platform, combining machine learning with human oversight to provide high-quality labeled data for AI models. Initially targeting the autonomous vehicle sector, Wang and Guo pitched their services at conferences like CVPR to land early clients. The company’s innovative approach used automation and a global network of gig workers to scale data labeling efficiently. By 2018, following a trip to China that heightened his awareness of geopolitical tensions, Wang pivoted Scale toward national security applications. This led to partnerships with the U.S. Department of Defense, including $350 million in government contracts for analyzing satellite imagery, such as assessing damage from Russian bombs in Ukraine—tasks performed faster than human analysts. Scale expanded to serve over 300 clients, including tech giants like OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta, Google, General Motors, and Flexport, aiding projects in autonomous driving, supply chain optimization, and generative AI.
Under Wang’s leadership, Scale AI’s valuation soared: $7.3 billion by 2021, making him the world’s youngest self-made billionaire at age 24 with a net worth of $1 billion (owning 14% of the company). By 2024, it reached $13.8-14 billion, with revenue hitting $870 million. In 2025, a $14.3 billion investment from Meta doubled the valuation to $29 billion, giving Meta a 49% stake. Revenue is projected to exceed $2 billion this year.
Wang’s achievements include being named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30, Time’s 100 Next list, and joining Expedia Group’s board in 2023. He has testified before Congress on AI policy and built relationships with pioneers in the field. Early on, Wang tinkered with AI, creating algorithms for emotion detection from facial expressions, foreshadowing his focus on practical AI applications.
Recent Developments: Transition to Meta
In a pivotal move announced in June 2025, Wang stepped down as CEO of Scale AI to head Meta’s new Superintelligence lab, aimed at developing AI surpassing human capabilities. This transition followed Meta’s massive investment, with Wang remaining a director on Scale’s board while Jason Droege, former Uber Eats leader, serves as interim CEO. Wang shared the news in a memo to employees, posted on X, describing it as an opportunity to advance AI frontiers at the cost of leaving his founded company. At Meta, Wang joins amid the company’s $60-65 billion investment in AI infrastructure, including data centers. This role positions him at the forefront of pursuing “superintelligence,” aligning with his long-held belief in AI’s potential for national security and economic competitiveness. Scale AI, meanwhile, eyes a tender offer at a $25 billion valuation, signaling continued growth.
Impact on AI and Legacy
ang’s work has democratized AI by making high-quality data accessible, addressing biases through human oversight, and influencing sectors from defense to e-commerce. Scale AI’s contributions to projects like battle damage assessment in Ukraine demonstrate AI’s real-world geopolitical impact. His philosophy emphasizes incremental progress, team collaboration, and ethical AI development, setting standards for the industry.
As Wang turns 28, his net worth stands at $3.6 billion, but his legacy extends beyond wealth. He continues to advocate for responsible AI, shaping policy and inspiring the next generation of innovators.
Conclusion: A Trailblazer in AI’s Golden Age
Alexandr Wang’s story is one of precocious talent meeting opportunity in the AI boom. From his roots in Los Alamos to leading Scale AI’s ascent and now driving Meta’s superintelligence ambitions, Wang exemplifies how data infrastructure underpins AI’s progress. As the field evolves, his contributions will likely influence everything from autonomous systems to global security. For more insights into AI leaders and innovations, follow Aitelly Online.