How This Indian-Origin Man Went From Struggling Childhood To Forbes Billionaires List

Forbes has released its latest list of the 400 richest people in America, and among the high-profile names like Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Walmart's Luke Walton is Indian-origin entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt. One of the ten youngest billionaires on the list, Bhatt stands out as the only Indian-origin founder featured. 

Baiju Prafulkumar Bhatt, born into a Gujarati family, is the son of Indian immigrants. His family relocated to Alabama when his father pursued a PhD, and Bhatt later grew up in Poquoson, Virginia. A bright student, he earned a degree in physics from Stanford University and went on to complete his master's in mathematics in 2008. Bhatt later co-founded Robinhood, the fintech platform that revolutionised stock trading.

According to Forbes, Baiju Bhatt is one of America's richest individuals, currently worth $6.9 billion, and the cofounder of Robinhood, the no-fee stock trading platform that transformed the broking industry. Bhatt launched Robinhood in 2013 alongside his college friend Vlad Tenev. He served as co-CEO until late 2020, then transitioned to chief creative officer before stepping down in March 2024. He continues to serve on the company's board. Robinhood went public in 2021 with a $32 billion valuation, and Bhatt retains an estimated 6% ownership stake in the company.

In an interview with Shawn Ryan, Baiju Bhatt spoke about the financial struggles his family faced during his childhood. He shared that his father was diagnosed with kidney failure when Bhatt was just five years old, leading to high medical expenses that strained the family's finances. Due to these hardships, they were unable to visit India, and Bhatt recalled that his last trip was back in 1997. Now, nearly 30 years later, Bhatt has achieved a remarkable milestone, becoming the only Indian-origin individual to be featured among Forbes' youngest billionaires. His journey reflects a deep respect for education and resilience in the face of adversity.