# Prediction market founders on TIME100 Next

> Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara built Kalshi, now valued at forty billion dollars, to bring prediction markets to ordinary people.
- Title: Prediction market founders on TIME100 Next · TIME | Shortify
- Summary: Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara built Kalshi, now valued at forty billion dollars, to bring prediction markets to ordinary people. MIT classmates Tarek…
- Keywords: tarek mansour, luana lopes lara, kalshi, prediction markets, mit, time100 next, Prediction, market, founders, TIME100, Next, TIME
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/collection/time100-next/2026/luana-lopes-lara-and-tarek-mansour
- Published: 2026-09-30T11:02:20.344+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: tarek mansour, luana lopes lara, kalshi, prediction markets, mit, time100 next
## Two MIT classmates meet
Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara met in a class at MIT. She is from Brazil, he was raised in Lebanon. They collaborated through the school's international community.
## They founded Kalshi
Mansour and Lopes Lara founded Kalshi to popularize prediction markets, which had long been discussed in academic circles but never successfully marketed to the public.
## Kalshi lets ordinary people bet
Kalshi is one of the world's most popular prediction markets. It allows people to wager on things like the future GOP presidential nominee and the price of diesel.
## It democratizes Wall Street access
Lopes Lara and Mansour say Kalshi democratizes a realm formerly available only to Wall Street traders, who could bet on the price of oil or pork through futures trading.
## States challenge Kalshi in court
Kalshi has been challenged in court by states like New York and Washington, which accuse it of being an illegal gambling operation. The company maintains its business is lawful.
## Valuation nearly doubles
Investors are huge fans of Kalshi. As the company tries to raise more funding, it is now reportedly valued at forty billion dollars, nearly double what funders estimated in May.
## Key takeaway

MIT classmates Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara founded Kalshi, a prediction market platform now valued at forty billion dollars, despite legal challenges from states.