SpaceX’s youngest engineer Kairan Quazi returns to LinkedIn after age-related ban

LinkedIn has reinstated the account of Kairan Quazi, the teenage software engineer at Elon Musk’s SpaceX, after initially removing it due to age restrictions. The professional networking platform, owned by Microsoft, had previously deleted his account in 2023 as he had not yet reached the minimum required age of 16, as per several media reports.

Quazi, who joined SpaceX at just 14, is part of the company’s Starlink project, where he works on data-driven design solutions for optimisation problems in beam planning. His role requires advanced expertise in low-latency, high-performance computing and real-time programming.

Quazi’s reaction to LinkedIn’s policy

According to aTimes of India report, Quazi revealed in 2023 that LinkedIn had informed him of the account removal due to his age. Expressing his frustration on social media at the time, he criticised the decision, stating: “This is the illogical, primitive nonsense that I face constantly. I can be qualified enough to land one of the most coveted engineering jobs in the world but…”

LinkedIn, adhering to its policy, had informed Quazi that he would be eligible to return to the platform once he turned 16. The company also confirmed that his Premium subscription had been cancelled and any charges refunded.

A Prodigy’s Remarkable Journey

Reportedly, before joining SpaceX, Quazi was an intern at Intel Labs for four years. His exceptional academic journey saw him graduate from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at the age of 14, making him the youngest graduate in the institution’s history.

Prior to that, he earned an Associate of Science degree in Mathematics from Las Positas College at just 11 years old. Additionally, he has been a speaker at major technology conferences, adds the report.

Now back on LinkedIn, Quazi continues to reaffirm his place among the youngest and brightest minds in engineering.