Lucy Guo’s Billionaire Playbook: Startup Secrets, Hidden Money Rules, and the Power of FOMO

Lucy Guo built one of the most talked-about AI companies in the world before most people finish college. Then, she made headlines when she dethroned Taylor Swift as the youngest self-made female billionaire. Today, she joins Nicole to talk about how she grew wealth, and how you can borrow the money lessons that only show up after you’ve already “made it.” 

Lucy tells Nicole about growing up bullied for not being able to afford the cool brands, scrappy strategies she used to save money when she was building her first company, and navigating the strange attention of being labeled a billionaire while most of that wealth still isn’t liquid. She explains the routines that kept her disciplined, the hard boundaries she set around lending money after getting burned, and stories of her wild money hacks like booking refundable flights to eat free meals in the airport lounges. 

Nicole and Lucy also dive into the hidden playbook of startup money and the creator economy: how Lucy’s fundraising secret is to manufacture FOMO, why the wealthy borrow instead of sell, and the monetization strategy all creators should adopt. 

Check out Nicole’s financial literacy course The Money School 

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole’s company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab’s Instagram and Nicole Lapin’s Instagram

Keep up with Lucy on Instagram and learn more about Passes

Here’s what Nicole covers with Lucy:
00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab?

01:17 Lucy’s Routine and the Impact of Success on Hustle

03:39 Childhood Bullying05:08 Lucy’s Confidence Reset

08:20 Unpacking “Paper Wealth” and Liquidity

13:40 Should You Lend Money to Friends?

14:35 Lucy’s Investing Thesis

18:34 FOMO Strategy in Fundraising

22:22 Billionaire Money Tips

25:03 The Robbery Attempt

27:38 Money Saving Hacks

33:43 Stigma Around “Work Hard, Play Hard”

37:24 Passes and the Creator Economy

53:45 Lucy Guo’s Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank