Raymond Kurzweil was born in Queens, New York City, to secular Jewish parents who had escaped Nazi-occupied Austria. His upbringing, marked by his parents' encouragement of his scientific curiosity and exposure to science fiction literature, laid the foundation for his future pursuits in technology and invention.

As a teenager, Kurzweil displayed exceptional talent in computer science. He created a program that could compose original musical pieces in the style of various composers. This achievement earned him recognition, including an appearance on the TV program 'I've Got a Secret' and allowed him to sell his first software commercially during his high school years. This early success demonstrated his innovative thinking and entrepreneurial spirit.