Who is Kairan Quazi?
Kairan Quazi is a Bangladeshi‑American teen prodigy who gained global attention by becoming the youngest graduate of Santa Clara University at just 14 and landing a role at SpaceX’s Starlink division. At 16, he’s transitioning to Wall Street, joining elite quant firm Citadel Securities as a quant developer, turning down offers from AI labs and Big Tech in favor of fast‑paced, high‑impact work. A fun fact: he once had his LinkedIn account removed purely due to age restrictions and later had it reinstated.

Key Information
| Field | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kairan Quazi |
| Profession | Software / Quant Developer |
| Known For | Youngest college grad & SpaceX engineer turned quant developer |
| Age | 16 (born January 27, 2009) |
| Date of Birth | January 27, 2009 |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius (approximate) |
| Years Active | From college admission (~2018) to present |
| Hometown | Pleasanton, California, U.S. |
| Current Residence | New York City (for Citadel Securities role) |
| Religion | Islam (Bangladeshi Muslim heritage) |
| Nationality | American (Bangladeshi-American) |
| Educational Qualification | B.S. Computer Science & Engineering, Santa Clara University (2023) |
| Hobbies | Reading sci-fi, video games (e.g., Assassin’s Creed) |
| Marital Status | Single |
Early Life & Education
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Place of birth: Pleasanton, California, raised in the Bay Area.
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Childhood environment: Born to Bangladeshi parents his mother Jullia is a Wall Street executive, his father Mustahid a chemical engineer. From age 2, his emotional and intellectual intelligence was assessed as far beyond his years; he joined Mensa and the Davidson Institute Young Scholar program.
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Educational background: At age 9, he entered Las Positas Community College and completed his high school equivalency. Earned an Associate of Science in Mathematics at 11, then transferred to Santa Clara University at 11, graduating with a B.Sc. in Computer Science & Engineering at 14 the youngest in the university’s 170-year history.
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Early ambitions or struggles: Faced age bias LinkedIn banned his account for being underage even as he joined SpaceX, which he called “primitive nonsense.”
Career Journey
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First Break / Debut Project: At age 10, interned at Intel Labs on predictive speech platforms. Later interned at Blackbird.AI in machine learning (~2022).
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College Senator: Served in student government from 2021–2023.
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SpaceX Role: Graduated at 14; joined SpaceX’s Starlink team as youngest software engineer designing production critical systems for satellite beams.
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Recent Move: In 2025, left SpaceX to join Citadel Securities as a quant developer in New York turning down AI/Big Tech for quant finance’s meritocratic pace. Responsible for global trading infrastructure, merging engineering with quantitative challenges.
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Awards/Recognition: Widely covered as a child prodigy; youngest grad and youngest SpaceX engineer; mainstream media features in Business Insider, People, Fortune, Economic Times, NDTV etc. seeking new challenges.
Family Background
| Relation | Name |
|---|---|
| Father | Mustahid Quazi |
| Mother | Jullia Quazi![]() |
| Brother(s) | Not known |
| Sister(s) | Not known |
Viral Moments
Kairan Quazi’s most notable controversy and viral moment occurred shortly after he joined SpaceX in 2023, when his LinkedIn account was temporarily banned because he was under the platform’s minimum age requirement of 16. Quazi publicly criticized the decision as “illogical, primitive nonsense.” The issue was resolved when his account was reinstated after he turned 16 in January 2025, with his return to the platform drawing a lot of attention.
Social Media Presence
| Platform | Handle | Followers |
|---|---|---|
| @thepythonkairan | 19.4K | |
| Twitter/X | kairanquazi1 | 3,923 |
| Kairan Quazi | 4,852 |
Lesser Known Facts
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As a toddler, he frequently woke his parents in the middle of the night to discuss global events like the Arab Spring or EU politics.
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At just 9, he bypassed traditional schooling and started college directly, highlighting non‑conformist learning paths.
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Enjoys retail fuga: historically he plays “Assassin’s Creed” games and reads sci‑fi (Philip K. Dick) and journalism of Michael Lewis.
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Early internships included Intel Labs at age 10 a rare opportunity for a child.
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Once had his LinkedIn profile banned not for content, but age sparking widespread debate over platform age rules.
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Despite immense success, he’s described himself as “very sociable,” not fitting the stereotypes of aloof geniuses.
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First job aspirations pointed toward meaningful tech he spoke of “benefit for the greatest number” even as a teen.
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Has faced “adultism”: recruitment bias where his age overshadowed qualifications he’s spoken openly about this.
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Prefers working environments with fast feedback and measurable change citing quant finance as delivering impact in days, not months.
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He is of Muslim heritage and comes from a family that blends tech and finance backgrounds enriching his worldview and drive.
Why Kairan Quazi left SpaceX?
Kairan Quazi’s decision to leave SpaceX and join Citadel Securities, according to The Times of India, a leading quantitative trading firm, was primarily driven by his desire for faster paced challenges and a field with more immediate and measurable impact.
- Seeking new challenges and skill expansion: Quazi stated that after two years at SpaceX, he was ready for a different high-performance environment and to expand his skill set, says The Economic Times.
- Faster feedback loops: He expressed that quantitative finance offers a blend of intellectual complexity similar to AI research, but with a significantly faster pace where he can observe the impact of his work within days, rather than the months or years typically associated with aerospace or research projects, according to Hindustan Times.
- Citadel’s ambitious culture and new domain: He was drawn to Citadel’s ambitious culture and the opportunity to work in a completely new domain, according to The Economic Times.
- Meritocratic environment: Quazi appreciated Citadel’s meritocratic approach, emphasizing that the firm valued his skills and potential over age-based limitations, says Northeast Live. This is in contrast to his previous experiences of facing age bias and rejections in the hiring process, despite his impressive resume and qualifications.
- Logistical advantages: Moving to New York City for his role at Citadel also brings the convenience of living within a 10-minute walk of his workplace, eliminating the need for his mother to drive him to SpaceX’s Redmond office due to his lack of a driver’s license.
Latest Updates
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Current City: Based in New York City for his new role.
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Ongoing Projects: Working on global trading infrastructure at Citadel Securities, designing systems where engineering meets quantitative finance.
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New Appearances / Announcements: Covered extensively by Business Insider, Economic Times, NDTV, Fortune, Times of India, and others highlighting his switch from SpaceX to Citadel
FAQs
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What is Kairan Quazi’s age?
He is 16 years old (born January 27, 2009). -
What does Kairan Quazi do for a living?
He is a quant developer at Citadel Securities in New York City. -
What is the net worth of Kairan Quazi?
Not publicly disclosed, but income likely from SpaceX and his new role at Citadel Securities. -
What is Kairan Quazi known for?
He’s known for being the youngest Santa Clara University graduate at 14, youngest SpaceX engineer, and now a quant developer at a major finance firm. -
What are Kairan Quazi’s latest projects in 2025?
He is currently working on building trading infrastructure at Citadel Securities. -
Has Kairan Quazi been involved in any controversies?
He has faced age-based bias issues, LinkedIn banning his account, Elon Musk’s denial post-departure but these sparked major media attention rather than serious scandal.
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