Early Life and Academic Background

Alexander Wang, the founder and CEO of Scale, attributes much of his intellectual prowess to his upbringing in Los Alamos, New Mexico, a town recognized for its concentration of PhDs due to its scientific background, notably as the birthplace of the atomic bomb. Growing up in a family of physicists, he developed a strong affinity for physics and mathematics from a young age, engaging in competitive math and computer science while also exploring the tech ecosystem through visits to companies such as Dropbox. His academic journey saw him transition from high school to a gap year spent working in Silicon Valley as a software engineer at Quora, all while being accepted to MIT, where he immersed himself in AI and machine learning. This foundational experience in both academic rigor and practical exposure to technology set the stage for his later ventures into the world of startups and data.