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Teen Engineer Kairan Quazi Leaves SpaceX for Quant Role at Citadel Securities

A desire for rapid feedback loops matched with a merit-based culture drew him to the firm.

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Quazi hasn't been shy about his feelings on age being used to "gatekeep" opportunities.

Overview

  • Quazi, 16, has begun work in New York as a quantitative developer at Citadel Securities focused on low-latency trading systems.
  • Citadel’s communications director said he declined a media interview to focus on his second day on the job.
  • He turned down offers from leading AI labs and major tech companies before choosing the market-making firm.
  • At SpaceX, he spent two years on Starlink’s production-critical software, including network beam planning and numerical optimization.
  • He has moved to Manhattan within walking distance of the office, and Elon Musk wrote on X that it was the first time he had heard of him.