Kalshi Cofounder Luana Lopes Lara Becomes Youngest Female Self-Made Billionaire

The 29-year-old Brazilian entrepreneur has built a $22 billion prediction market company in just a few years.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 5:05pm

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A minimalist, high-end studio still life photograph featuring a sleek laptop, financial reports, and a single red rose, representing the intersection of technology, finance, and entrepreneurship that has enabled Luana Lopes Lara's remarkable success.The rapid rise of Kalshi cofounder Luana Lopes Lara to billionaire status symbolizes the growing influence of prediction markets and the potential for women entrepreneurs to build highly successful tech companies.Philadelphia Today

Luana Lopes Lara, the 29-year-old cofounder of the prediction market platform Kalshi, has become the world's youngest female self-made billionaire. Kalshi recently raised $1 billion in funding, pushing the company's valuation to $22 billion and Lopes Lara's net worth to $1.3 billion. The former competitive ballerina has built Kalshi into a major player in the rapidly growing prediction market industry alongside rival Polymarket.

Why it matters

Lopes Lara's rise to billionaire status at such a young age is a remarkable achievement, highlighting the potential for women entrepreneurs to build highly successful tech companies. Her story also shines a light on the growing prediction market industry, which allows users to trade on the outcomes of events like elections and reality TV shows.

The details

Lopes Lara and her cofounder, Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour, both previously worked at the hedge fund Citadel before leaving to start Kalshi. The company has positioned itself as more compliance-focused than its rival Polymarket, which has faced scrutiny over potential insider trading. Inside Kalshi, Lopes Lara leads the internal operations, while Mansour handles external-facing work like regulatory compliance and investor relations.

  • Kalshi raised $1 billion in funding in December 2025, pushing the company's valuation to $22 billion.
  • Lopes Lara became the world's youngest female self-made billionaire in late 2025.

The players

Luana Lopes Lara

The 29-year-old Brazilian cofounder of Kalshi, a prediction market platform that recently reached a $22 billion valuation, making Lopes Lara the world's youngest female self-made billionaire.

Tarek Mansour

The CEO and cofounder of Kalshi, who focuses on external-facing work like regulatory compliance and investor relations.

Lucy Guo

The 31-year-old cofounder of Scale AI, who previously held the title of world's youngest female self-made billionaire before being surpassed by Lopes Lara.

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What they’re saying

“It was pretty surreal. But it doesn't change anything at all. It's just company stock. ... [After an IPO], I guess I'll be liquid, but right now it doesn't change anything in my life.”

— Luana Lopes Lara, Cofounder, Kalshi

“With ballet, everything's about delayed gratification. I'm going to work hard a full year so that I have 30 seconds on stage. I'm going to be in pain so I can get those 30 seconds. So for me, it's very natural to think about things like—it's going to be a very hard three years, but if it works out... that's something I'm comfortable with.”

— Luana Lopes Lara, Cofounder, Kalshi

What’s next

Kalshi is expected to go public in the next few years, which would make Lopes Lara's stake in the company fully liquid.

The takeaway

Luana Lopes Lara's rapid rise to billionaire status at just 29 years old demonstrates the immense potential for women entrepreneurs to build highly successful tech companies. Her story also highlights the growing influence of prediction markets, which are disrupting traditional financial and media industries.