Baiju Bhatt in Forbes Youngest Billionaires List

Indian-origin entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt has found a place in Forbes' Youngest Billionaires list. Bhatt's family had migrated from Gujarat to America. 40-year-old Baiju today owns assets worth $6 billion (about ₹50,000 crores) and is the co-founder of a stock trading app called Robinhood. In his childhood, Baiju had to face a lot of difficulties due to his father's illness. The financial condition of the house was so bad that his family could not even come to India to meet their relatives even if they wanted to.

Difficult circumstances taught Baiju Bhatt the real meaning of struggle at a very young age. He was always sharp in studies. Baiju was born in a Gujarati family. His father got a scholarship to do PhD from an American educational institution. With the help of this, he reached America. Baiju's family lived in Poquoson, a small town in Virginia. Baiju did his schooling from here.

But when Baiju was just five years old, his father's health deteriorated. Due to continuous dialysis and medical treatment, the entire savings of the family were exhausted. Due to this, his father had to leave his research work midway and take up a job. In an interview with a podcaster Shawn Ryan, Baiju said that in his childhood, due to being obese and non-athletic, he often felt helpless, especially when his father's condition deteriorated.

Being the only child, Baiju not only had to focus on studies but also had to see the difficulties of the house with his own eyes. But, despite adverse circumstances, he continued his studies. After schooling, he studied physics at Stanford University. From here the direction of his life started changing. After this, he obtained a master's degree in mathematics in 2008. During his studies, he met Vlad Tenev and both of them became friends.

Robinhood launched in 2013
Vlad and Baiju both had a dream of making the financial market easier for the common people through technology. This is where the foundation of Robinhood was laid – an app that connected millions of Americans to the stock market and trading. Robinhood, launched in 2013, made a splash in the financial world in no time. Baiju, along with Vlad, made this app the first choice of young investors. Robinhood made stock trading available without commission, which was a revolutionary step at the time.
Net worth is $6 billion
Baiju was the co-CEO of this company till 2020. He then took over as Chief Creative Officer and resigned from the executive role in 2024. However, he is still part of the board and has a 6% stake in the company. Robinhood's shares have seen a massive jump of 400% in the recent past. Baiju has a six percent stake in the company. With the rise in the share price, Baiju's net worth also increased to $6 billion.