Luana Lopes Lara, a 29-year-old Brazilian entrepreneur, has become the world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire. She is the co-founder of Kalshi, a pioneering prediction market platform, which recently hit an $11 billion valuation.
Luana Lopes Lara: World’s Youngest Self-Made Woman Billionaire
Background: From Art to Academia
- Early Life: Lara was born in Brazil. She trained professionally as a ballerina at the elite Bolshoi Theatre School and performed in Austria.
- Academic Excellence: She excelled in science and math Olympiads. She attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), earning dual degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics.
Founding Kalshi
- Origin: Lara co-founded Kalshi in 2018 in New York with fellow MIT student Tarek Mansour, after realizing a market gap during their Wall Street internships (at firms like Bridgewater Associates and Citadel).
- Vision: To create a federally regulated prediction market where users could legally trade contracts on real-world event outcomes (like elections or inflation rates).
- Major Milestone: After years of legal battles, Kalshi won a landmark court case in September 2024 against the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), legitimizing their platform for regulated US election trading.
Meteoric Rise and Net Worth
Kalshi’s valuation dramatically increased from $2 billion in June 2025 to $11 billion by December 2025. This surge propelled both co-founders into the billionaire club.
- Lara’s Wealth: Her estimated 12% ownership stake places her personal wealth at approximately $1.3 billion, securing her status as the youngest self-made woman billionaire globally.
Question & Answer
Q1. Luana Lopes Lara is the co-founder of which pioneering prediction market platform?
A) Scale AI
B) Citadel
C) Kalshi
D) Five Rings Capital
Answer: C) Kalshi
Q2. What is the age of Luana Lopes Lara upon becoming the world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire?
A) 25
B) 27
C) 29
D) 31
Answer: C) 29
Q3. The prediction market platform Kalshi won a landmark legal case in 2024 against which US regulatory body?
A) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
B) Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
C) Federal Reserve (Fed)
D) Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Answer: B) Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
Q4. Luana Lopes Lara received dual degrees from MIT in Computer Science and which other discipline?
A) Electrical Engineering
B) Finance
C) Mathematics
D) Economics
Answer: C) Mathematics
Q5. What was the valuation of Kalshi in December 2025, which contributed to Luana Lopes Lara’s billionaire status?
A) $2 billion
B) $5 billion
C) $8 billion
D) $11 billion
Answer: D) $11 billion
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