In an age where technology and finance intersect at lightning speed, Luana Lopes Lara, a 29-year-old Brazilian entrepreneur, has emerged as the world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire. Her journey from professional ballet stages to financial tech boardrooms has captivated the world—thanks to her company Kalshi, a trailblazing prediction market platform that recently reached an $11 billion valuation. Surpassing the likes of Lucy Guo of Scale AI and even overtaking cultural icons like Taylor Swift on Forbes’ list, Lara’s rise isn’t just rapid—it’s revolutionary.
Early Life: From Bolshoi Ballet to Math Olympiads
- Born in Brazil, Luana’s early life was steeped in both art and academia. She trained as a ballerina at the elite Bolshoi Theatre School, describing its discipline as “more intense than MIT.”
- She even performed professionally in Austria before pivoting toward academics.
- With a mother who taught mathematics and a father who worked as an electrical engineer, Lara’s family background nurtured her analytical mind.
- She excelled in science and math Olympiads, winning multiple gold and bronze medals in national competitions in Brazil.
- Her academic achievements earned her a place at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she pursued dual degrees in computer science and mathematics.
Kalshi: A Billion-Dollar Vision Born from Wall Street Internships
- During internships at top-tier financial firms—Bridgewater Associates, Citadel, and Five Rings Capital—Lara and fellow MIT student Tarek Mansour discovered a market gap: there was no regulated platform for trading on real-world event outcomes, such as elections, inflation rates, or job reports.
- This idea birthed Kalshi in 2018, during their stint in New York.
- Their goal was ambitious: build a federally regulated prediction market where users could legally trade contracts on future events.
- Navigating this vision meant wading through a complex regulatory maze.
- The biggest hurdle was the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), with whom Kalshi engaged in years-long legal battles.
- They won a landmark case in September 2024, allowing regulated US election trading, a major milestone that legitimized their platform and unlocked its full market potential.
Kalshi’s Meteoric Rise and Lara’s Billionaire Status
- Kalshi’s valuation skyrocketed from $2 billion in June 2025 to $11 billion by December, fueled by a $1 billion funding round that drew attention from top venture capitalists and institutional investors.
- This explosive growth propelled both Lopes Lara and Tarek Mansour into the billionaire club.
- With an estimated 12% ownership stake, Lara’s personal wealth now stands at around $1.3 billion, making her the youngest self-made woman billionaire in the world.
Key Takeaways
- Luana Lopes Lara, 29, is now the youngest self-made woman billionaire (net worth ~$1.3B).
- Co-founded Kalshi, a prediction market platform, in 2018.
- Kalshi gained federal approval from CFTC in 2024 after a court victory.
- The company’s valuation jumped from $2B to $11B within 6 months in 2025.
- Lara holds a 12% stake in Kalshi.
- Background includes Bolshoi ballet training, MIT degrees, and Wall Street internships.