The AI boom no longer depends only on OpenAI and Anthropic: a new wave of startups is creating new AI millionaires

Bloomberg says 19 new U.S. AI billionaires emerged in the past year, with a combined fortune of about $59.3 billion.

The biggest gains are coming from specialized AI-agent startups in software, law, medicine, and data labeling, not just foundation-model companies.

Examples include Reflection AI, Harvey, OpenEvidence, and Mercor, whose founders saw valuations and personal wealth surge quickly.

The trend suggests AI capital, talent, and market power are spreading into the application layer of the industry.