Latest news with #Passes
Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
'AI is nothing to fear - it's the best business partner' says tech billionaire
Co-founder of Scale AI and founder of Passes, Lucy Guo pivoted from the tech-bro world of artificial intelligence to the 'Hollywood' creator space. But AI has its place in content creation, says Lucy Lucy Guo, founder and CEO of Passes, wants to turn content creators into millionaires. The 30 year old recently became a billionaire in her own right, though it's 'all on paper' as she told Forbes right before they crowned her the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world. Passes is Lucy's big bet in the creator economy. Speaking to The Mirror, she describes seeing 'untapped potential' in the creator monetisation space back in 2020 after falling in with some content creators in Miami. 'I just saw how they could sell anything with an Instagram post or story' recalls Lucy. 'I also saw how inconsistent their income could be.' Her solution to the instability was for creators to monetise directly off their fan base, which would not only give creators direct, consistent income but the means to invest in other interests or business ventures. Ventures that could be passion projects or, as Lucy envisions, potentially large-scale product-based businesses. READ MORE: Audible's new AI plans will put jobs at major risk, say translators and voice actors Given Lucy's significant background in AI, Passes' approach is decidedly tech-forward compared to other fan subscriber platforms. While the technical approach separates Passes from its competitors, there's been a lot of scepticism from creators about AI - viewed as both a potential competitor and thief. But Lucy is adamant AI's utility will become clear. 'When creators realise the benefits of AI, they're going to change their perception and they're going to be very excited about it. But at the moment, there's a lot of fear. And fear prevents you from looking at all the upsides.' She continues: 'The whole world is like 'AI is going to take over' and I'm just like 'no, it's going to be our co-pilot. It's gonna be our best business partner'.' AI will help content creators post quickly and often - which is key to long-term success according to Lucy. 'We've actually noticed our creators that make the most money, they're actually smaller. They have 200, 300,000 followers,' says Lucy. 'My hypothesis is that it's because they just churn out more content because it doesn't need to be perfect'. The question of what matters to fans boils down to speed and community, according to Lucy. 'I would say in terms of what everyone wants it's very, very fast customer service - whether the customer service they want is from the creator or from [Passes].' Lucy also believes that women tend to lean more towards content creation and, simply put: 'they're better at it'. 'I think being a content creator requires a lot of empathy and being able to build relationships especially when they're not in person. You're building relationships with your fans digitally. And the traits needed to do that I think women are better at,' she explains. By Lucy's estimation, AI will make building those relationships easier and faster because it will free up creator's time to engage fans and think creatively. But she will need to work on building meaningful relationships with creators to test her bet. After Passes acquired the competitor site, Fanhouse in 2023, Lucy faced backlash from creators who felt blindsided by the acquisition. Creators found Passes' lack of content guidelines and AI push alarming. As reported by TechCrunch at the time, some creators grew worried about a tweet of Guo's in which she stated that Passes was working on technology that could optionally make AI likenesses of creators. Concerns escalated after Twitch streamer Riley Rose pointed out that Passes does not have content guidelines on its website. 'It's just that [Fanhouse's] content guidelines are very, very specific,' Guo clarified to TechCrunch. She said that because Fanhouse used Stripe as its payment processor, the company had to be very clear with users about what they can and cannot post. 'We do have content guidelines, it's just more lax," she explained. Now, convincing creators to embrace AI and bring their fanbase to a new platform - many of whom aren't accustomed to paying directly for their content - promises to be a tough sell even if Lucy is promising significant returns. And just as with fans, it isn't all about the money for creators. Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Paige Spiranac Has Her Eyes Set On A Big New Job
Paige Spiranac Has Her Eyes Set On A Big New Job originally appeared on The Spun. Paige Spiranac is looking to give golf fans what they want as they lobby for her to land a new position on the PGA Tour. After the former LPGA golf pro and social media influencer made a cameo on a recent broadcast, her followers quickly made it known that they'd like to see more of her as an on-course reporter. "If the new PGA CEO doesn't immediately hire @PaigeSpiranac as an on-course reporter, then all is lost," a user said. To which Paige replied: "I mean the people have spoken." Others seconded the potential career change in her mentions. "I wholeheartedly 1 million percent AGREE with this statement," a fan replied. "I've been saying this for awhile," another commented. "💯💯💯. Hire her now!!" an account exclaimed. "That would be a great job for you!" another person pointed out. "Please don't take my job," Colt Knost pleaded. "For the record, it's not your looks, you have been exceptionally good at this particular job, just genuinely impressed," the initial user followed-up. "I approve of this message." As cool as it would be to see Spiranac as a full-time PGA broadcaster, it's not like she's hurting in her current form. The 32-year-old has racked up a combined 5 million followers across her content on Instagram and X, and has legions of loyal fans subscribed to her Passes account. Still though it'd be pretty neat. We'll see what the future holds for her though as she continues covering the game she Spiranac Has Her Eyes Set On A Big New Job first appeared on The Spun on Jun 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Independent Singapore
09-06-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
'Act broke, stay rich': Inside billionaire Lucy Guo's unflashy fortune
INTERNATIONAL: In today's world, where extravagance is frequently confused with accomplishment, Lucy Guo stands as an astonishing exception. At 30 years old, the co-founder of Scale AI and now chief executive of creator platform Passes has landed on Forbes' radar as the newest self-made lady magnate, purportedly surpassing Taylor Swift with a US$1.3 billion net worth, but then, don't assume a string of luxury cars and designer apparel attached to her name. Guo is redrafting the billionaire playbook with a way of life that's far more prudent than glitzy. Wealth without the wow factor According to a recent article featured on MSN, notwithstanding a stated 5% stake in Scale AI, assessed at $25 billion as of April, Guo lives a self-effacing lifestyle. Her apparel cabinet is bursting with pieces from fashion giant Shein, her Uber Eats orders are picked based on 'buy-one-get-one-free' deals, and she still rides in a not-so-new Honda Civic with her assistant as driver. 'I don't like wasting money,' she said, dismissing the notion that billions must be accompanied by Birkin bags or Patek Philippe watches. While she confesses to occasional extravagant expenses, such as flying business class for long trips or wearing a trendy dress to formal events, her everyday choices reflect her views on wealth. 'In terms of daily life, everything I wear is free or from Shein… I still literally buy buy-one-get-one-free on Uber Eats.' Status isn't in the spending Guo's understated existence isn't just about stinginess but a need to consciously reject the necessity of showing off wealth. 'Who you see typically wasting money on designer clothes, a nice car, etc., they're technically in the millionaire range,' she says. 'They feel a little bit insecure, so they feel the need to be flashy.' She acknowledges that she was once into that mentality herself, in what she dubs the 'middle ground' of success—wealthy, but still determined to acquire more. 'I do think that this is something I personally went through… And I think the reason most billionaires dress in a T-shirt, jeans, and hoodies is that they can.' According to the young billionaire, when you get to a certain level of success, the need to outwardly demonstrate it simply disappears. Now, her chant is simple: 'Act broke, stay rich.' Frugality, not performance Guo isn't alone in espousing a subdued aesthetic. From Warren Buffett to Rihanna, there's a rising movement of billionaires to lead 'normal' lives with unassuming pride. However, Guo thinks that many are doing it simply for show. 'In America, there is this 'we hate billionaires' situation… People want to show, 'look, I'm not your typical billionaire. I'm frugal.' However, for her, prudence isn't a PR move—it's for real. 'I fully admit it, I have gone through that spending spree when I was more insecure, and then you get to the point where you realize: 'Why am I wasting my money on something that doesn't matter?'' Her conclusion is straightforward: status symbols don't define wealth; freedom does. With her financial standing firmly in the billions with nothing left to prove, Guo is content in her Shein get-up, swapping the expensive sports car for a Civic, and living a billionaire's life that appears a lot more commonplace than anyone would expect, and that, conceivably, is what makes her amazing.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scale AI's 30-year-old billionaire founder still shops at Shein and pulls up to work in a Honda Civic: ‘Act broke, stay rich,' Lucy Guo says
Billionaire college dropout Lucy Guo is reportedly the youngest self-made woman on the planet—knocking Taylor Swift off the top spot. But even with a $1.3 billion reported net worth, the 30-year-old cofounder of Scale AI tells Fortune she still pinches the pennies and shops at Shein. Despite founding and retaining a $1.3 billion stake in an AI unicorn, you won't catch Lucy Guo wasting her billions on a lavish lifestyle to match her new status. 'I don't like wasting money,' the frugal 30-year-old tells Fortune. Of course, sometimes Guo will splurge—like if she's got a 16 hour flight to endure, she says she'll opt for business class. And there's the odd designer dress hanging in her closet for when she needs it. 'But in terms of like daily life, my assistant just drives me in a pretty old Honda Civic. I don't care,' she says. 'Everything I wear is free or from Shein… Some of them aren't going to be that great quality, but there's always like two pieces or so that really work out, and I just wear them every day,' the billionaire founder laughs. 'I still literally buy buy-one-get-one-free on Uber Eats.' Guo, who is currently the founder and CEO of the creator community platform Passes, adds that a quote she stumbled on on the morning of our interview perfectly summarises her approach: 'It's like, act broke, stay rich.' Guo hit the jackpot after the AI startup she cofounded, Scale AI, was reportedly valued at $25 billion in April as part of a share sale. Although she left the company in 2018 (two years after founding it), the 5% stake she held onto is now worth an estimated $1.2 billion—making the millennial one of just 5 female billionaires under 40 according to Forbes' latest ranking, including Rihanna and Anthropic's cofounder Daniela Amodei. It's why Guo no longer feels the need to prove her wealth with a Patek Philippe everyday watch, or a Hermès Birkin to carry her laptop. That, she says, is the behaviour of millionaires. 'Who you see typically wasting money on, designer clothes, a nice car, et cetera, they're technically in the millionaire range,' Guo explains. 'All their friends are multimillionaires, or billionaires and they feel a little bit insecure, so they feel the need to be flashy to show other people, 'look, I'm successful.'' 'I'm not showing off to anyone, right?' Indeed, for our interview, she's makeup-free, dressed down, and could pass for any other millennial. But earlier in her career, Guo admits she, too, may have been dripping in designer gear. 'I do think that this is actually something that I personally went through, and I think a lot of people go through when you're in that middle ground of you're successful, but not as successful as you want to be.' 'And I think the reason most billionaires dress in a t-shirt, jeans, hoodies, is that they can. They don't need to be in the suit 24/7 because they're done proving themselves to the rest of the world. The rest of the world is just sucking up to them,' she adds. 'And I think that's kind of how I like feel, where I'm past that hump. I don't really have to prove myself to anyone.' 'No one's going to look at me and point at me like, 'Haha, she's so broke' when I'm pulling up in a Honda Civic because whatever, it doesn't matter.' Guo's not the only ultra-wealthy to admit she's 'pretty frugal.' The world's most powerful have been boasting about their quiet luxury lifestyle for some time now. They've been donning logo-less angora wool jumpers and linen trousers that could be from anywhere to the unassuming eye. Experts say their wealthy peers can tell who is wearing Zara from who is in Loro Piana, but the point is to resemble people in lower tax brackets. Others, like KeKe Palmer and Warren Buffet, have been less subtle about how they lead very normal lives, despite their huge net worths—with the world's most famous investor going as far to call himself 'cheap'. But in Guo's eyes, she's one of the few who actually are as cheap as they say they are. 'I think that people want to fit into society. Specifically in America, I do think there is a 'we hate billionaires situation.' So because of that, people want to show, 'look, I'm not your typical billionaire. I'm frugal,'' she explains. 'I'm not saying it to be like, 'let me show you the world that I'm not like other billionaires,' Guo adds. 'I fully admit it, I have gone through that spending spree when I was more insecure, and I felt like I needed to show something.' And those who really aren't spending their millions? They aren't doing it to be relatable, she says it's because like her they had their flashy era—then reached the inevitable realisation: 'Why am I wasting my money on something that doesn't matter?' This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scale AI's 30-year-old billionaire founder still shops at Shein and pulls up to work in a Honda Civic: ‘Act broke, stay rich,' Lucy Guo says
Billionaire college dropout Lucy Guo is reportedly the youngest self-made woman on the planet—knocking Taylor Swift off the top spot. But even with a $1.3 billion reported net worth, the 30-year-old cofounder of Scale AI tells Fortune she still pinches the pennies and shops at Shein. Despite founding and retaining a $1.3 billion stake in an AI unicorn, you won't catch Lucy Guo wasting her billions on a lavish lifestyle to match her new status. 'I don't like wasting money,' the frugal 30-year-old tells Fortune. Of course, sometimes Guo will splurge—like if she's got a 16 hour flight to endure, she says she'll opt for business class. And there's the odd designer dress hanging in her closet for when she needs it. 'But in terms of like daily life, my assistant just drives me in a pretty old Honda Civic. I don't care,' she says. 'Everything I wear is free or from Shein… Some of them aren't going to be that great quality, but there's always like two pieces or so that really work out, and I just wear them every day,' the billionaire founder laughs. 'I still literally buy buy-one-get-one-free on Uber Eats.' Guo, who is currently the founder and CEO of the creator community platform Passes, adds that a quote she stumbled on on the morning of our interview perfectly summarises her approach: 'It's like, act broke, stay rich.' Guo hit the jackpot after the AI startup she cofounded, Scale AI, was reportedly valued at $25 billion in April as part of a share sale. Although she left the company in 2018 (two years after founding it), the 5% stake she held onto is now worth an estimated $1.2 billion—making the millennial one of just 5 female billionaires under 40 according to Forbes' latest ranking, including Rihanna and Anthropic's cofounder Daniela Amodei. It's why Guo no longer feels the need to prove her wealth with a Patek Philippe everyday watch, or a Hermès Birkin to carry her laptop. That, she says, is the behaviour of millionaires. 'Who you see typically wasting money on, designer clothes, a nice car, et cetera, they're technically in the millionaire range,' Guo explains. 'All their friends are multimillionaires, or billionaires and they feel a little bit insecure, so they feel the need to be flashy to show other people, 'look, I'm successful.'' 'I'm not showing off to anyone, right?' Indeed, for our interview, she's makeup-free, dressed down, and could pass for any other millennial. But earlier in her career, Guo admits she, too, may have been dripping in designer gear. 'I do think that this is actually something that I personally went through, and I think a lot of people go through when you're in that middle ground of you're successful, but not as successful as you want to be.' 'And I think the reason most billionaires dress in a t-shirt, jeans, hoodies, is that they can. They don't need to be in the suit 24/7 because they're done proving themselves to the rest of the world. The rest of the world is just sucking up to them,' she adds. 'And I think that's kind of how I like feel, where I'm past that hump. I don't really have to prove myself to anyone.' 'No one's going to look at me and point at me like, 'Haha, she's so broke' when I'm pulling up in a Honda Civic because whatever, it doesn't matter.' Guo's not the only ultra-wealthy to admit she's 'pretty frugal.' The world's most powerful have been boasting about their quiet luxury lifestyle for some time now. They've been donning logo-less angora wool jumpers and linen trousers that could be from anywhere to the unassuming eye. Experts say their wealthy peers can tell who is wearing Zara from who is in Loro Piana, but the point is to resemble people in lower tax brackets. Others, like KeKe Palmer and Warren Buffet, have been less subtle about how they lead very normal lives, despite their huge net worths—with the world's most famous investor going as far to call himself 'cheap'. But in Guo's eyes, she's one of the few who actually are as cheap as they say they are. 'I think that people want to fit into society. Specifically in America, I do think there is a 'we hate billionaires situation.' So because of that, people want to show, 'look, I'm not your typical billionaire. I'm frugal,'' she explains. 'I'm not saying it to be like, 'let me show you the world that I'm not like other billionaires,' Guo adds. 'I fully admit it, I have gone through that spending spree when I was more insecure, and I felt like I needed to show something.' And those who really aren't spending their millions? They aren't doing it to be relatable, she says it's because like her they had their flashy era—then reached the inevitable realisation: 'Why am I wasting my money on something that doesn't matter?' This story was originally featured on Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
