Lucy Guo, the 30-year-old billionaire co-founder of high-flying Scale AI, has been hogging the headlines. She’s unique not only for her wealth, but for her egalitarian approach to it. According to Forbes — which listed her as a billionaire for the first time in April — her net worth recently skyrocketed to $1.3 billion. Guo has garnered attention for her minimalist lifestyle and an appreciation for quiet luxury, and her meticulous spending habits illustrate both.
Guo’s property portfolio is impressive, including a newly constructed mansion in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills that she purchased for nearly $30 million. This opulent home includes a spectacular cantilevered glass living room melting into an infinity pool & spa. Relax through the evenings next to the sunken fire pit, all while enveloped by a magnificent 5,000 square foot garden. Even with such an extravagant purchase, Guo wants to come across as extremely frugal.
“I generally like appreciating assets, and I think this is something that will appreciate. Not all properties will appreciate,” Guo stated. “When I bought my house, I did spend a lot of money on my house, but did I make sure I got a good deal? Yes.” In fact, she explained, the property was initially listed for $44 million but she ended up purchasing it for around $29.5 million.
Her approach to spending goes beyond the world of real estate. Guo has been open in the past about her cheapskate ways, taking to social media to tell stories about her money-saving schemes. She even once ordered an Uber Eats meal instead of eating in her hotel. It was a lot less expensive, and she just thought it was a more intelligent choice. “In my hotel, it was like 20 euros. On Uber Eats, it was like four euros,” Guo remarked.
Besides her real estate investments Guo has a collection of cars with a vintage rose Ferrari as her main prized asset, which she acknowledges is her flaw. “Honestly, I still feel the same as that little girl, like my life pre-money and post-money, it hasn’t really changed that much,” she said. Guo is deeply averse to depreciating assets. This is what made her decision to buy the luxury sports car such a surprising exception.
She opts for utilitarian outfits. Know that the vast majority of her wardrobe is made up of these unbranded items, each costing $10 or less. Still, she’s gained a reputation as a purist. She resorts to a very understated code-switching as she traverses the world of privilege.
Guo’s perspectives on separating the millionaires vs. the billionaires are particularly interesting. She argues that the downfall of these millionaires tends to make them want to flaunt their money in a more extreme way. “Sometimes you see people will try to overcompensate to show they have more than they actually have,” Guo explained. “I’ve definitely seen people overcompensate and splurge more than they should to try to make themselves look wealthier than they are.”
Though the self-made billionaire could afford to splurge, Guo still prioritizes efficiency and value for your dollar in her investments. She’s consistently been able to build a pretty decent property portfolio over the years. She’s constantly looking for ways to save money. “Let’s say you’re worth a few million, and you hang out with people worth billions… they spend a lot more, and they’re almost living to their every dollar to be able to blend in,” she noted.
Guo’s business endeavors have long been controversial. A weeks-old class action lawsuit against her and her company, Passes. The suit contains shocking claims indicating that TikTok has played a role in the distribution of child sexual abuse material. A spokesperson for Passes responded to these claims by asserting that “this lawsuit is a shakedown and part of an orchestrated attempt to defame Passes and Ms. Guo.” In his statement, the spokesperson for the company reiterated that Guo and the company deny the allegations in no uncertain terms.