Alexandr Wang

Alexandr Wang is the founder and CEO of Scale AI, a prominent data annotation platform that provides training data for machine learning models. Born on January 19, 1997, in Los Alamos, New Mexico, he is the son of Chinese immigrant physicists who worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Wang exhibited a strong aptitude for math and computer programming from a young age, participating in prestigious competitions such as the USA Physics Team and the USA Computing Olympiad.12

Wang attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at the age of 17, where he studied computer science and mathematics. However, he dropped out after one year to co-found Scale AI in 2016. Under his leadership, Scale AI has grown significantly, becoming a key player in the AI industry, with a valuation that reached $7.3 billion in 2021. This success made Wang the youngest self-made billionaire at the age of 24, with a net worth estimated at $2 billion as of July 2024.132

Scale AI specializes in annotating data for AI applications, serving a diverse range of clients, including major corporations and government entities. The company has also faced scrutiny for its labor practices, particularly regarding the low wages of its data labelers in various countries.12

Wang is known for his strong views on the geopolitical implications of AI, particularly concerning competition with China, and he has engaged with U.S. lawmakers on these issues.23 His influence extends beyond the tech industry, as he is actively involved in discussions about national security and AI policy.23