Who is Lex Fridman? Biography, Age & Net Worth

Lex Fridman (born Alexey Alexandrovich Fridman, August 15, 1983) is an American computer scientist, AI researcher, and podcaster.

He gained widespread recognition for hosting The Lex Fridman Podcast, where he interviews notable figures from various fields, including science, technology, sports, and politics.

Early Life and Education

Fridman was born in Chkalovsk, Tajik SSR (now Tajikistan) and later moved to Moscow, Russia. His family, of Jewish heritage, relocated to the United States when he was about 11, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. They settled in Chicago, Illinois, where he attended Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville.

Fridman pursued higher education at Drexel University, earning B.S. and M.S. degrees in computer science (2010), followed by a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering (2014). His dissertation focused on active authentication through behavioral biometrics.

Career at MIT

In 2014, Fridman briefly worked at Google, researching AI-based identity authentication, but left after six months, preferring academic research. He then joined MIT’s AgeLab, where he studied driver behavior using AI and big-data analytics.

Tesla Autopilot Controversy

In 2019, Fridman published a study claiming that Tesla Autopilot kept drivers focused, which contradicted previous research on automation and human attention. The study, which was not peer-reviewed, was criticized by AI experts for its methodology and small sample size. However, it caught the attention of Elon Musk, who praised it, significantly boosting Fridman’s public profile. The study was later removed from MIT’s website after criticism.

Fridman eventually left AgeLab and, as of 2022, became a research scientist at MIT’s Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS).

Lex Fridman Podcast

Fridman launched his podcast in 2018, initially calling it The Artificial Intelligence Podcast, before rebranding to The Lex Fridman Podcast in 2020. The show has grown massively, reaching 3.6 million subscribers by 2024, according to the Boston Globe.

His podcast features long-form interviews with leading personalities, including scientists, business leaders, athletes, and politicians. Some of his most controversial episodes include his 2022 interview with Kanye West, during which West made false and inflammatory statements about the Holocaust and Jewish people. Despite backlash, Fridman defended the interview, stating that open conversation can increase understanding and love in the world.

Personal Life and Legacy

Fridman currently lives in Texas but remains connected to MIT. His father, Alexander Fridman, is a well-known plasma physicist and professor at Drexel University.

From a niche AI researcher to a leading podcast host, Fridman has built a platform that bridges science, philosophy, and public discourse, earning both praise and criticism along the way.