Luana Lopes Lara.webp
The Digest:

Luana Lopes Lara, a 29-year-old former ballerina and MIT graduate, has become the world's youngest self-made female billionaire by co-founding Kalshi, a prediction market platform now valued at a staggering $11 billion.

Key Points:
  • Luana Lopes Lara, a Brazilian MIT computer science graduate, co-founded Kalshi in 2017.
  • The company is a prediction market platform where users can bet on future events like elections and sports.
  • Kalshi's valuation skyrocketed to $11 billion after a funding round led by Paradigm, Sequoia Capital, and others.
  • Lopes Lara and her co-founder each own an estimated 12% of the company, achieving billionaire status.
  • The firm faced significant legal hurdles, winning crucial approval from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in 2020.
  • In 2024, Kalshi offered the first legal U.S. election contracts in over a century, with users betting over $500 million on the presidential race.
  • Before Kalshi, Lopes Lara gained experience at top financial firms like Bridgewater Associates and Citadel.
Her journey embodies a modern storm of innovation, navigating regulatory challenges to build a new asset class and shatter expectations on the global stage. Rooted in the Storm.

Sources: Forbes, CNN