Vivian Tu

On a global mission to make the financial industry less "male, pale, and stale," Vivian Tu is a former Wall Street trader-turned-expert, educator, public speaker, host, entrepreneur, media powerhouse, and the founder and CEO of the financial equity phenomenon, “Your Rich BFF.” In January 2021, she developed and launched the “Your Rich BFF” blog and social media handles as a passion project to destigmatize and make the rules of personal finance accessible and digestible to non-experts and marginalized communities. Her dedication to promoting financial literacy and ability to bridge the gap between finance and the mainstream have earned her cross-platform fame and notoriety, having garnered nearly 6 million followers and counting, as well as honors on both the Forbes' "30 Under 30 – Social Media" (2023) and inaugural "Top Creators" (2022) lists.

This December 2023, Vivian’s financial prowess and devotion to educating her followers have culminated into the highly anticipated release of her debut book, RICH AF: The Winning Money Mindset That Will Change Your Life. Revealed exclusively on the TODAY show, RICH AF is billed as the definitive book on personal finance for a new generation and was sold in a competitive auction for a seven-figure publishing deal to Portfolio, a division of Penguin Randomhouse. Building on the lessons she learned on Wall Street about money and the markets (and the secrets that wealthy people have gatekept for generations), Vivian now offers her best personal finance tips and tricks to readers of all ages and demographics, so that anyone can get rich and grow their wealth for years to come. Throughout the pages of RICH AF, Vivian will be the reader’s personal mentor, as she dispenses fresh, no-BS advice on how to think like a rich person and create smart money habits, including how to maximize earnings, understand the differences between savings accounts, identify the tax strategies and (legal) loopholes to retire in style, overcome investing fears to secure wealth for generations, and so much more. Transcending the traditional, male-dominated confines of financial advice and equity, this book will equip readers with the tools and knowledge to understand the financial landscape and build a strategy of their own; and with Your Rich BFF at their side, readers will start their financial journeys already in an affluent mindset to make the most of their money. RICH AF: The Winning Money Mindset That Will Change Your Life is currently available for pre-order and set to hit bookshelves on December 26, 2023.

In addition to her breakout digital content and exciting new book, Vivian continues to spread her wealth of knowledge on her top-charting podcast, Networth and Chill. Produced and distributed by Audioboom Studios, Networth and Chill is a first-of-its-kind podcast offering accessible advice and lessons in finance, featuring Vivian alongside notable experts, professionals, and famous faces to break down the economics of our lives. The podcast debuted in March 2023 and immediately climbed to the top of the Business charts and is currently available to stream with new episodes dropping weekly.

Vivian’s journey to success began in Baltimore, MD, where she was born to Chinese immigrant parents, who surrounded her with love and instilled the value of every penny spent. Throughout high school, she excelled in academics, becoming valedictorian of her class, and co-founding a tech startup as part of an AP Computer Science project, which sparked her early knack for entrepreneurship. Vivian went on to attend the University of Chicago, where she double majored in Public Policy and Environmental Studies and graduated with honors before entering the work force in New York City as an equity trader at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Although she excelled working under the only other Asian woman at the company, who served as a close mentor and the very early “blueprint” for Your Rich BFF, after two and a half years, Vivian’s experiences with burnout and a toxic work environment came to a head and she decided to leave Wall Street behind. She transitioned to a job in digital media strategy sales at BuzzFeed, where she became a top seller within two years. While at BuzzFeed, many coworkers turned to Vivian for their personal finance questions, and she soon recognized how great the need was for financial literacy and education beyond the big banks, especially for marginalized and minority communities. To better consolidate and share her financial savvy, she posted her first video on the internet, and within 24 hours, it had gone viral and earned her over 100,000 followers in just one week.

Fast forward to today, and Vivian’s fun, digestible advice has inspired millions to be more open and transparent regarding conversations around money, and she continues to transform finance into “fun-ance” to help her followers become successful in wealth. Her affinity for turning finance into an approachable topic has transformed her into one of today’s most desirable public speakers, and she has given several panels and keynote presentations at events including the SXSW Conference and Festivals, Snapchat’s Financial Seminar, Forbes’ Top Creator event, BuzzFeed’s Content Creators Showcase, Glow Recipe’s Empowerment Summit, NextShark’s AAPI College Readiness Conference, and Her Campus Media’s Her Conference, to name just a few. As her success climbs, Vivian’s ability to seize opportunity is reflected in her finances, having achieved millionaire status at just 27 years old– a testament to both her financial acumen and strategic mindset. As she continually lands partnerships with major brands and organizations such as SoFi, Marshalls, Invesco, Sweetgreen, Keurig, Zola, Expedia, Adobe, Audible, LuluLemon, MetLife, and more, “Your Rich BFF” is becoming a common household name. Vivian is also currently hard at work developing various scripted and unscripted projects for the screen, and with her drive, ambition, diverse skill set, and passion for helping underserved communities, it’s clear that she is making a strong impact.