Who is Kairan Quazi? 16-year boy Leaving SpaceX to Join this Firm; Check Education and Career Details

Discover who Kairan Quazi is, the 16-year-old prodigy leaving SpaceX to join xAI. Explore his remarkable education, from graduating Santa Clara University at 14 to his career at SpaceX’s Starlink, and learn about his new role and achievements.

Aug 18, 2025, 20:03 IST

Teen prodigy Kairan Quazi, who gained international attention in 2023 for becoming a SpaceX engineer at just 14, has now moved on with his career. The 16-year-old is starting a new job as a quant developer at Citadel Securities, a major trading firm in New York City. At Citadel, he will work with both traders and engineers, focusing on the company’s global trading systems.

Teen Prodigy Kairan Quazi Leaves SpaceX

This week, the 16-year-old Kairan Quazi, who made headlines throughout the world in 2023 after graduating from college and getting hired as a SpaceX engineer at the age of 14, begins working as a quant developer at New York City's Systematic Trading Giant Citadel Securities.

A corporate representative of Citadel stated that Quazi will be working on the company's worldwide trading infrastructure in his new position, occupying the "intersection of engineering and quantitative problem-solving" and collaborating with both traders and engineers.

Who is Kairan Quazi?

Kairan Quazi was born to Jullia Quazi, a Wall Street professional, and Mustahid Quazi, a chemical engineer. Quazi's experiences, as an American-Bangladeshi, are a blend of cultures and the embrace of technological viewpoints.

In 2023, Quazi made history by earning a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Santa Clara University. He went on to become the youngest graduate in the 170-year history of the school. In addition to his academic achievements, he demonstrated leadership qualities by being elected as an Associated Student Government senator in 2021–2023. During his tenure, he took part in campus politics and promoted a number of student initiatives.

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Kairan Quazi Academic Journey

Quazi's academic career started even before he attended college. Quazi graduated from Las Positas College with an Associate of Science in Mathematics at the age of eleven. This early success demonstrated his exceptional capacity for critical thinking and problem-solving, which would be useful in his subsequent pursuits in artificial intelligence and computer science.

Kairan Quazi’s Quest for First Job 

In a 2023 interview with Vogue, Quazi talked about the challenges he had when he was 14 years old and wanted to join the technology industry. "I experienced cultural adultism in my job search," Quazi explained, referring to the numerous age-related biases he encountered despite the fact that American labor rules permit employment of 14-year-olds who have completed their mandatory high school education.

Quazi further revealed that recruitment agencies often rejected his outstanding resume and would disqualify him based on his age, which they viewed as a hindrance. Additionally, he displayed the cognitive dissonance that most hiring managers exhibit when evaluating a candidate's qualifications, taking into account solely his age while ignoring his exceptional skills and background.

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Vidhee Tripathi
Vidhee Tripathi

Content Writer

Vidhee Tripathi completed her PG Diploma degree in Digital Media from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. She is a graduate in Science with chemistry honors from Banaras Hindu University. She has 2 years of experience in various aspects of journalism. She was previously associated with the social media wing of Akashvani. At jagranjosh.com, currently she covers current affairs, national news and international news. She is also associated with the education news section of Jagran Josh.

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