Self-Made Billionaire’s Three Mind-Blowing Predictions For The Future Are All Coming True

There's a man who might just have a knack for predicting the future, and he’s been surprisingly accurate so far.

Usually, when we hear about predictions for the future, it's often about doomsday scenarios or something equally far-fetched. 

But this isn’t one of those stories. Instead, it’s about a brilliant mathematician who has made some strikingly accurate forecasts.

Patrick Collison, a self-made billionaire originally from the small village of Dromineer in Ireland, has been quietly making predictions that are now coming to life. 

Self-made billionaire Patrick Collison. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for WIRED

At 35, he’s the CEO of Stripe, a multinational financial services and software company with headquarters in both South San Francisco, California, and Dublin, Ireland.

Back in 2022, Collison made three bold predictions about the future of our world, and as it turns out, he was spot on.

He foresaw a future where AI would manage vast empires while we sleep, predicted that the next groundbreaking app would be created by someone who doesn’t know how to code, and claimed that understanding APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) would become as essential as reading and writing.

Fast forward to today, and we can see how much AI and technology have revolutionized our lives.

But what ties all these advancements together? According to experts, the key connection is APIs.

Is Collison the next Steve Jobs? Matthias Oesterle/Corbis via Getty Images

For those unfamiliar, APIs might sound like tech jargon, but they’re actually crucial.

As explained by AltexSoft, an API is essentially a set of programming code that allows different software products to communicate with each other.

It’s the invisible glue that holds much of our digital world together.

Now, how are Collison’s predictions playing out? Let's take a look.

First, AI has indeed started to take over tasks that once required human oversight.

For example, at JPMorgan, AI is now reportedly trading $250 billion daily on the stock exchange—completely autonomously.

This means that AI is making critical decisions about investing and divesting in stocks without any human intervention.

Collison’s second prediction, that “the next big app” would be built by “someone who can’t code,” has also come true.

No-code apps, which allow users to create software without traditional programming skills, have exploded in popularity.

In fact, according to the CEO of Api Days, Baptiste Parravicini, these no-code apps have reached valuations of $1 billion annually.

Lastly, Collison’s third prediction, that understanding APIs would become as fundamental as literacy, has proven accurate as well.

Baptiste took to Twitter to confirm this, noting, "Tech skills are a requirement in 90% of jobs."

Collison is the CEO of Stripe - a company worth more than PayPal. AOP.Press/Corbis via Getty Images

In today’s world, knowing how to navigate and use APIs is becoming increasingly necessary across various industries.

So, is Patrick Collison the next Steve Jobs?

While it’s too early to tell, one thing’s for sure: his name is one we’re likely to hear a lot more in the future.