By The Numbers: Meet The Forbes Under 30 Class Of 2022

Our 10th anniversary Forbes Under 30 class is set to define the next decade — and beyond.

We published the first edition of the Forbes 30 Under 30 a decade ago, with one clear goal: to identify the new guard, the young innovators, trailblazers and disruptors remaking our world. That first list featured names like Kevin Systrom, whose company Instagram had only seven employees; Lena Dunham, who had yet to debut on HBO's Girls; Daniel Ek, who had just launched Spotify in the U.S.; journalist Ronan Farrow, years before he exposed Harvey Weinstein in the New Yorker; and actor Donald Glover, then mostly known as a cast member in the cult comedy Community.

Much of 2022 was being freshly created by this group back in 2012. Ten years from today, it’s a good bet we’ll all be living in a new world being imagined today by the 600 entrepreneurs, innovators and entertainers that make up our 10th Anniversary class.

Some highlights from this year’s class: Arizona Suns star Devin Booker, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard who is one of just six players in NBA history to have posted a 70-point game and who helped lead the Suns to their first conference title in 28 years last season. He joins familiar faces like musicians Jack Harlow and Olivia Rodrigo, and actors Miranda Cosgrove and Bella Thorne.

There are also many individuals you don’t know — but you should. There’s 25-year-old Tarek Mansour, a first-generation Lebanese American whose startup Kalshi is the first federally regulated event-based trading exchange in U.S. history. There’s also 27-year-old Celine Halioua, who helms the biotech Cellular Longevity that has identified compounds that help prevent undue aging and cancer in dogs (and shows promise to help humans down the line).

All of the honorees in the Forbes Under 30 Class of 2022 have defied the odds: navigating a global pandemic, supply chain crunches and isolation to build ventures that are resilient and destined to change the world. They’ve been vetted by veteran Forbes editors and industry-leading judges (ranging from Midas Listers to Miley Cyrus). A breakdown of this year’s record-setting list is below — and don’t forget to view the full list here.

30 UNDER 30 2022 BY THE NUMBERS

FUNDING

$1 billion+
The Forbes Under 30 Class of 2022 has collectively raised over $1 billion in funding.

SELF-IDENTITY AS PERSON OF COLOR

47.5%
Nearly half of the individuals that appear on this year’s list self identify as a person of color.

GENDER

1% non-binary, 38% female and 61% male.
Gender parity slightly slipped this year from an all-time high in 2021.

IMMIGRANTS

24.4%
This year has the highest percentage of immigrants who hail from 58 countries including Albania, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Syria.

AVERAGE AGE

28.2
The average age of Under 30s increased this year (the youngest is 14, Jalyn Hall)

GEN Z (24 OR YOUNGER)

14%
Despite the average age of listmakers increased, this is the largest contingent of Gen Z to appear on the list ever.

(CO)FOUNDERS

70%
The vast majority of listmakers this year are founders or cofounders of companies. Many more are leading innovations that will seed companies down the line.

TOP CITIES

New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Miami and Chicago.
San Francisco has become less popular, as cities like Miami have risen in favor.

STUDENT DEBT

Over $10 million
This year’s class graduated with over $10 million in student debt. They have paid off less than half of it to date.

30 UNDER 30 RELATED ARTICLES

Gallery: 2022 30 Under 30: The Standouts

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