December 19, 2025
Robinhood Co-Founder Baiju Bhatt on Space Energy, AI Power & Building the Galactic Brain
The Determined Society with Shawn FrenchAbout this episode
In this episode of The Determined Society, Shawn French sits down with Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood, for a wide-ranging conversation that spans entrepreneurship, immigration, resilience, artificial intelligence, and humanity’s next energy frontier: space. Baiju opens up about growing up as the child of Indian immigrants, learning English by watching TV, and how that outsider perspective shaped his worldview, work ethic, and belief in opportunity. He reflects on building Robinhood in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the skepticism they faced, and how democratizing access to the markets reshaped an entire generation’s relationship with money. The conversation then moves beyond finance into the future of energy and AI. Baiju introduces his newest venture, Aetherflux, and the bold vision behind what he calls the “Galactic Brain” a solar-powered AI data centers and energy grids built in space. From space-based power transmission using lasers to solving the massive energy demands of artificial intelligence, this episode explores ideas that sound like science fiction but are rapidly becoming reality. Key Takeaways -Baiju Bhatt’s immigrant upbringing and how it shaped his mindset -The real story behind building Robinhood after the 2008 financial collapse -Why access to investing became a cultural and generational shift -The philosophy of failure, stubborn belief, and customer-driven validation -What the “Galactic Brain” means for AI, power, and the future of humanity -How space solar power and laser energy transmission actually work -Health, discipline, confidence, and how self-respect changes outcomes Connect with me : https://link.me/theshawnfrench?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaY2s9TipS1cPaEZZ9h692pnV-rlsO-lzvK6LSFGtkKZ53WvtCAYTKY7lmQ_aem_OY08g381oa759QqTr7iPGA Baiju Bhatt https://www.instagram.com/realbaijubhatt/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.