Business

AI’s latest 20-something billionaire got his start at L.A. garage sales

Published

1 month ago

February 7, 2026

AI’s latest 20-something billionaire got his start at L.A. garage sales

The man set to become one of the world’s youngest artificial intelligence billionaires started his entrepreneurial journey as a bored preteen living in Los Angeles.

When Ali Ansari was 12, living with his family in a single room at his aunt’s house in Woodland Hills, his immigrant mother told him to stop wasting time staring at his phone and try making money with it.

He took his father’s loafers and listed them on eBay for $50.

“My dad was like, ‘Why the hell did you sell my shoes?’ ” Ansari said. “My mom was like, excited.”

While it was a bad deal for his dad, Ansari learned the thrill of making money. He has been chasing it ever since.

He started biking around his neighborhood, visiting garage sales and thrift stores, buying whatever he could carry to sell online.

Through middle school, high school, and college in California, he continued to build online businesses, launching an AI business in his 20s that could make him a billionaire this year, his 25th.

Ali Ansari generates the training data that makes AI models like ChatGPT and Claude smarter.

(Paul Kuroda/For The Times)

His hard hustle in his young years is paying off more than he could have imagined. The success has given him the freedom to buy his parents a house and a nice car. He has been featured in the news and gets recognized by people in the business.

But the main change from his success so far, he says, is a huge increase in the amount of work and responsibility he has to shoulder.

“I feel very grateful and very stressed,” he said. “That kind of summarizes it.”

Ansari’s AI company is called Micro1. Making AI smarter requires vast amounts of data, as well as training and testing. Micro1 recruits and manages thousands of human experts — coders, lawyers, doctors, professors and financial analysts — to gather expert information that is fed to AI models like ChatGPT. These experts review and correct the AI’s output, making it more accurate.

Micro1 is one of the key suppliers of that kind of expert human assistance for AI, alongside California competitors Scale AI, Surge and Mercor.

Micro1 went from $4 million in annualized revenue in 2024 to $200 million today, according to Ansari. Even by Silicon Valley standards, that’s a meteoric rise.

Forbes estimates that Ansari is on the verge of becoming a billionaire, based on ongoing funding conversations that value Micro1 at $2.5 billion. Micro1 was last valued at $500 million.

Ansari has a booming voice, a fashionable buzz cut and a meticulously maintained beard. He’s fast with his fingers, usually responding immediately to text despite all he is juggling. He has the confidence of someone older, though his frequent use of the word “like” in conversation marks him as Gen Z.

His startup is based in Palo Alto and during monthly visits to Los Angeles, he works out of a coworking space in Woodland Hills — minutes away from his family, high school and the memories of his many teenage side hustles.

“This area is my entire childhood,” he said, gesturing out the window from his Woodland Hills office during an interview at the coworking space.

Ansari’s family emigrated to the U.S. when he was 10, after winning the rare U.S. green card lottery. Before the move, they had a comfortable life in a small beach town in northern Iran, where his father owned a kitchen cabinet factory.

Since the Islamic revolution of 1979, Iran has witnessed multiple waves of middle-class exodus, where Iranian immigrants moved to the U.S to escape economic collapse and persecution. The growing presence of the Persian diaspora in Westwood earned it the moniker Tehrangeles.

The family of four shared a single room at a relative’s house for the first year. His mother took a job at Target for a short time. The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.

“Teachers would call my mom, and they’d be like, ‘Hey, your son’s making like, cow noises again’ or something,” he said.

At 14, he started reselling textbooks because they were easier to carry in his backpack. He figured out that procuring a steady supply of books through garage sales was hard, so he developed Cash Books Now, a website for college students to sell their textbooks. He would list them on Amazon at a 50% markup.

Buying and selling textbooks became his obsession. His bedroom wall was divided into two sections: “not listed” and “listed” to track inventory. By 16, Ansari had sold more than $100,000 in books.

“I would focus on this way more than school,” he said. “It was like the main hustle.”

In high school, he started a tutoring business that he later sold. In 2019, Ansari enrolled at UC Berkeley and started a software agency to build websites for small businesses.

Recruiting engineers to build the websites was taking up too much of his time, so he built an AI screening tool to help him with interviews. This later became Micro1, and his screening tool was used to track down, weed out and test all kinds of experts for training AI.

Still, the road to success was not without its rough patches. After raising $2 million in 2023, Ansari had a panic attack during a trip to visit his team in India.

“I kept kind of repeating this idea in my head, which was, like, some people have decided to give me millions of dollars,” he said. “And now I have this duty to really do something good with it.”

He got through it with the help of his family and reading, and has matured enough now to manage anxiety and lead with confidence.

“I am more composed than ever, and I frankly feel less anxious than ever,” he said.

Micro1’s annualized revenues surged more than 30-fold last year to $150 million. In early 2026, it crossed $200 million.

It has built a global workforce of contractors with various skills: from coders and comedians, to doctors and lawyers, to teach their skills to AI.

Ansari says leading such a fast-growing company at the heart of the hottest tech sector feels like being in a constant battle trying to meet demand, raise money and “punch back” against competitors trying to poach his employees.

He says he doesn’t have any hobbies besides work. He doesn’t watch television or movies but he devours business podcasts and personal stories of entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk.

Ansari is still adapting to the newfound fame and responsibilities. As the company’s valuation has climbed, Ansari bought his family a house in Woodland Hills. He recently hired a chief of staff to help with family and professional matters.

“I’m constantly choosing what I spend my time on, and it’s become the most difficult thing,” he said.

For future growth, Ansari is betting that demand for human training data will grow. He recently expanded Micro1 into robotics, recruiting roughly 1,000 people across 60 countries to record footage of themselves performing household tasks. The footage will be used to train robotic systems.

Ansari predicts that in the long run, human data will become a $1-trillion market — a projection he derives from the assumption that roughly 5% of all human labor will eventually be redirected toward training AI systems.

On a recent visit home, his father told him he should diversify into robots. When Ansari told him Micro1 had already started doing that, his father complained.

The man whose loafer launched an empire wanted a piece of the action this time.

“You stole my idea,” his father joked. “You got to give me equity.”

The young Ansari hopes his success will uplift more than just his family.

“I might [become] the youngest Persian billionaire in the world,” he said. “I think I’ll inspire a lot of other Iranians, which kind of feels weird to say.”

Business

This $100,000 EV from Sony is part gadget, part gamble and only available in California

Published

6 hours ago

March 13, 2026

Press Room

This 0,000 EV from Sony is part gadget, part gamble and only available in California

As electric vehicle makers struggle to remain relevant, a new competitor is about to hit California’s roads.

It is stuffed to the sunroof with speakers and screens, and it’s a Sony.

Sony’s joint venture with Honda, Sony Honda Mobility, will launch a luxury EV brand called Afeela just in California this year.

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The sedan is a brash bet that the two old-guard brands can succeed where others have struggled.

“We believe customers are looking for more than just a means of transportation” in their luxury EVs, said Sony Honda Mobility President and Chief Executive Shugo Yamaguchi in a statement to The Times. “They are looking for technology, safety, design, and a personalized experience.”

Afeela vehicles aim to do for driving what the Sony Walkman did for walking.

They have 28 speakers, wraparound screens, an AI assistant and an entertainment system for Karaoke or playing Sony PlayStation games.

The interior of the Afeela vehicle at Afeela Studio in Beverly Hills.

Even as the end of government incentives for EVs has taken the air out of the market, Sony and Honda are hoping there are enough high-end Tesla buyers who may be looking to try something different.

Some EV enthusiasts have been alienated by Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk’s affiliation with President Trump, who has strangled government support for green vehicles.

In West Los Angeles, a big Afeela ad above a Tesla dealership puts the EV leader squarely in its crosshairs.

“Get stares, not glares,” the billboard reads, with a glamour shot of a sleek, silver Afeela 1.

Tesla’s market share in California slipped to 48% last year from around 53% a year earlier.

Honda’s own EVs haven’t been wildly successful but their market share in California edged up to 3.8% last year compared to 1.8% a year earlier.

Afeela is entering the market at a time when federal support for EVs is low and public enthusiasm is faltering.

Major automakers including Ford, General Motors and Stellantis are paring back their EV ambitions. Lucid, a Newark, Calif.-based EV maker, has been struggling to turn a profit and recently laid off more than 300 employees.

Irvine-based luxury EV maker Rivian said last year that it was laying off more than 800 workers as it looked to cut costs.

Afeela has showrooms in San José, Beverly Hills and Century City. The company is manufacturing the cars at a Honda plant in Marysville, Ohio, and will make its first deliveries at the end of the year.

The Sony and Honda joint venture is in the midst of legal obstacles as it aims to build a solid reputation. Last August, the California New Car Dealers Assn. filed a lawsuit against American Honda Motor Company and Sony Honda Mobility, alleging that the companies violated franchise law by selling Afeela vehicles directly to consumers rather than through Honda dealerships.

Various display screens inside the Afeela vehicle at Afeela Studio, Beverly Hills.

For now, Californians can reserve an Afeela 1 for a $200 deposit. Selling only in the Golden State at first will allow the company to learn from an engaged customer base, said Yamaguchi.

“California is one of the most advanced markets for EV adoption, grid infrastructure, and new mobility technology,” he said. “It also represents a culture of innovation and creativity that aligns well with the Afeela vision.”

The company is planning to begin sales in Arizona next year.

The car comes in two trims, starting at $89,900 and $102,900. Both trims come with level two automation. When using a vehicle with level 2 automation, the driver must remain in control and attentive while the system assists with braking, acceleration or steering.

Sony and Honda are looking to capitalize on growing interest in self-driving technology and plan to eventually equip all their vehicles for full autonomy. The Afeela 1 comes with 18 cameras, nine radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and lidar, a laser-based radar that Waymo uses to power its autonomous taxis.

“You do have to pay attention and we definitely don’t want people to believe that they can just go to sleep behind the wheel,” said Raisu Williams, an Afeela engagement operations associate. “But we are aiming for that level four autonomy, where you don’t have to drive at all.”

While some of Afeela’s tech may have a leg up on the competition, the brand will have to prove there’s healthy demand for it at that price, said Brian Moody, an auto industry analyst.

“Tesla and its platforms are aging, and the Lucids and Afeelas of the world feel more modern, more futuristic,” Moody said. “We’ll see if the car can make the jump from early adopters and tech-type people to the mainstream.”

The AFEELA logo sits on top of a rear cameras of a Afeela vehicle.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

Afeela is hoping to have more success than Lucid with attracting a wide audience. Lucid laid off more people this year after laying off around 6,800 people in 2024 and hiring actor Timotheé Chalamet as a brand ambassador.

“I do think Afeela is in danger of heading down the same road as as Lucid,” Moody said. “If those cars can be successful in California, will that translate to success throughout the rest of the country and the world?”

Sony Honda Mobility got its start when the two founding companies formed a strategic alliance in 2022. The new company unveiled its first Afeela prototype in 2023 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

CEO of Sony Honda Mobility Yasuhide Mizuno presents the AFEELA 1

Auto industry experts said Honda’s bet on Afeela is somewhat risky for the major automaker, but it could pay off. Because Sony and Honda each own 50% of Sony Honda Mobility, the companies reduce their liability by sharing risk, said auto analyst Kristin Shaw.

Honda has popular gas-powered models such as the Pilot and the CR-V to fall back on if their ambitions with Sony fall through.

“Honda’s bread and butter is still in their production vehicles,” Shaw said. “Honda is hedging its bets across the board, and Afeela is one way for them to explore what could happen.”

Business

Video: Indian Kitchens Face Fuel Shortage From War in Middle East

Published

17 hours ago

March 13, 2026

Press Room

Video: Indian Kitchens Face Fuel Shortage From War in Middle East

new video loaded: Indian Kitchens Face Fuel Shortage From War in Middle East

The fuel that powers Indian kitchens has been harder to get since the start of the war, which effectively shut a critical shipping lane for gas imports that India’s population relies on.

By Shawn Paik

March 13, 2026

Business

Universal Pictures will now keep its movies in theaters for at least five weekends

Published

18 hours ago

March 13, 2026

Press Room

Universal Pictures will now keep its movies in theaters for at least five weekends

Universal Pictures will now keep its new films in theaters for at least five weekends, a reversal from the studio’s previous policy of at least 17 days that was set during the pandemic.

The change takes place immediately, the studio said Thursday. That means it will apply to its newest film, the Colleen Hoover romance “Reminders of Him,” which is out in theaters this weekend. Other upcoming films include Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” which will be released in July.

“Our windowing strategy has always been designed to evolve with the marketplace, but we firmly believe in the primacy of theatrical exclusivity and working closely with our exhibition partners to support a healthy, sustainable theatrical ecosystem,” Donna Langley, chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment, said in an email to the New York Times, which first reported the news.

Focus Features, Universal Pictures’ specialty film arm, will keep its existing theatrical exclusivity policies, which vary on a case-by-case basis. Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet,” for instance, was in theaters for 99 days, while 2024’s “Nosferatu” played for 58 days. The minimum is 17 days.

The amount of time films are available exclusively in theaters — known as “windowing” in industry jargon — has become a contentious topic of conversation in Hollywood.

That debate ramped up during the pandemic, when some studios shortened theatrical exclusivity periods in order to move films to release for video on demand or streaming.

Prior to the pandemic, those windows could be as long as 90 days. Now, the average is around 30 days.

Theater owners have argued that shorter windows cut into box office profits and train audiences to wait to watch a movie at home. Distributors have countered that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t necessarily work for smaller or mid-budget films, which may find a bigger audience via at-home viewing.

At last year’s CinemaCon trade conference, top theater lobbyist Michael O’Leary called on distributors to establish a minimum 45-day window, arguing there needed to be a “clear, consistent starting point” to set moviegoers’ expectations and affirm commitment to theatrical exclusivity.

The debate has become even more fierce as box office profits still have not recovered from the pandemic. Last year, theatrical revenue in the U.S. and Canada totaled about $8.87 billion, just 1.5% above 2024’s disappointing $8.74-billion tally.