The Forbes 2025 list of the worlds youngest billionaires is out and it’s an exciting mix of people who were born into wealth and those who built their fortunes from scratch. This year the list features 21 billionaires under the age of 30. While most of them inherited their money from family businesses a few stand out for making their own way to the top. Names like Johannes von Baumbach, Ed Craven and Alexandr Wang are leading the pack showing that age is no barrier to becoming a billionaire—whether through legacy or hard work.
The Youngest Billionaire: Johannes von Baumbach
At just 19 years old Johannes von Baumbach is the youngest billionaire in the world in 2025. He comes from a wealthy German family that owns Boehringer Ingelheim the largest privately owned pharmaceutical company globally. Johannes and his three siblings—aged 23 25Brazil and 27—each have a net worth of around $5.4 billion. Their wealth comes from their share in the company which has been run by their uncle Hubertus von Baumbach since 2015. The family is known for staying out of the spotlight so not much is known about Johannes or his siblings personal lives. What we do know is that Johannes enjoys skiing competitively in Austria but it’s unclear if he has any role in the family business yet.
Johannes represents a common trend on this list most of these young billionaires inherited their fortunes. Out of the 21 people under 30 19 got their wealth from their families. Europe especially Germany has a big presence on the list with 15 of these young billionaires coming from the continent. Besides the von Baumbach siblings other German heirs include Kevin David Lehmann (22) who owns part of a drugstore chain and Maxim Tebar (23) linked to a chainsaw company. Inheritance clearly plays a huge role in creating young billionaires but there are exceptions who prove you don’t need a rich family to make it big.
The Self-Made Stars: Ed Craven and Alexandr Wang
While most of the list is filled with heirs two names stand out for building their wealth on their own: Ed Craven and Alexandr Wang. These self made billionaires show that with the right idea and determination anyone can join the billionaire club—even before turning 30.
Ed Craven (29)
Hailing from Australia Ed Craven is 29 years old and worth $2.8 billion. He cofounded Stake.com which is believed to be the world’s biggest crypto backed online casino. The company made an impressive $4.7 billion in revenue last year even though crypto gambling isn’t allowed in places like the UK or the US. Craven started the business with his friend Bijan Tehrani, whom he met as a teenager while playing the online game RuneScape. Their journey began with small bets in the game, which later turned into a massive real world gambling empire. Craven’s story is inspiring because it shows how a simple idea, combined with smart execution can lead to billions.
Alexandr Wang (28)
At 28, Alexandr Wang from the United States is another self made billionaire with a net worth of $2 billion. He cofounded Scale AI, a company that helps big businesses like Microsoft and General Motors use artificial intelligence (AI). Wang started Scale AI in 2016 after dropping out of MIT one of the top universities in the world after just one year. The company focuses on labeling data to train AI systems like those used in self driving cars or ChatGPT. In May 2024 Scale AI raised $1 billion valuing the company at $13.8 billion. Wang owns about 14% of it which made him a billionaire for the second time in his young career. His success proves that innovation in technology can create wealth fast even without a wealthy background.
A Mix of Legacy and Innovation
The Forbes 2025 list of youngest billionaires tells two different stories. On one hand you have people like Johannes von Baumbach who were born into rich families and inherited their fortunes. Germany leads the way here with the von Baumbach siblings and others like Sophie Luise Fielmann (30), who got her wealth from an eyeglass company. Italy also has young billionaires like the Del Vecchio brothers who own part of EssilorLuxottica a huge eyewear business. These heirs show how family businesses can keep wealth alive across generations.
On the other hand Ed Craven and Alexandr Wang represent a new generation of entrepreneurs. They did not rely on family money but instead used their ideas and skills to build something big. Craven’s success in the crypto world and Wang’s breakthroughs in AI highlight how technology is opening doors for young people to create wealth from nothing. They are the only two self made billionaires on this list which makes their achievements even more impressive.
What This List Says About Wealth Today
The Forbes 2025 list shows that becoming a billionaire before 30 is rare—only 21 people made it this year. Most billionaires in the world are older between 50 and 79 and just 12% are under 50. For those under 30, inheritance is the most common path with Europe being a hotspot for wealthy families passing down their fortunes. But the stories of Craven and Wang remind us that self made success is possible too especially in fast growing fields like tech and crypto.
This mix of inherited and self-made wealth also reflects changes in the global economy. Traditional industries like pharmaceuticals and eyewear still create billionaires through family legacies, while new fields like AI and cryptocurrency are giving young innovators a chance to rise. The young billionaires of 2025 are a bridge between the old ways of wealth and the new opportunities of the digital age.
The Future of Young Billionaires
The list might grow as more young people take advantage of technology and entrepreneurship. Education, creativity and risk taking seem to be key factors for those like Wang and Craven. For the heirs, managing and growing family businesses will be their challenge. Whether through inheritance or innovation these young billionaires are setting trends for the future.
It’s also worth noting the diversity in their interests. While Johannes von Baumbach enjoys skiing, others might focus on technology, gaming or other passions. This variety shows that wealth does not limit personal choice—it opens doors to explore what they love. As the world keeps changing we can expect more young names to join this elite group bringing new ideas and energy to the billionaire club.
In the end the youngest billionaires of 2025 are a mix of old money and new ideas. Johannes von Baumbach and his peers carry forward family legacies while Ed Craven and Alexandr Wang show that hard work and innovation can break through any barrier. Whether born rich or self-made these young billionaires prove that wealth knows no age limit.