Who Founded Klarna?

Sebastian Siemiatkowski, born in 1981 in Sweden to Polish immigrant parents, co-founded Klarna (originally Kreditor) with Niklas Adalberth and Victor Jacobsson in 2005. The pitch, receive goods first and pay later while Klarna takes the risk, reportedly did poorly at the school's business competition, but the founders went ahead with backing from angel investor Jane Walerud. As CEO he expanded Klarna across Europe and into the US, led it through the 2022 valuation reset, became one of the best-known corporate advocates of AI, and took the company public on the NYSE in September 2025.

Niklas Adalberth co-founded Klarna in 2005 with Sebastian Siemiatkowski and Victor Jacobsson and helped run the business during its expansion as Deputy CEO. After leaving his operating role he founded the Norrsken Foundation in Stockholm, which backs impact-driven entrepreneurs.

Niklas Adalberth was born in 1981 in Gottsunda parish. Education: Stockholm School of Economics.

Gustav Erik Niklas Adalberth was born in 1981. In 2016 he founded the Norrsken Foundation, a social impact organisation.

Victor Jacobsson co-founded Klarna in 2005 with Sebastian Siemiatkowski and Niklas Adalberth. He later stepped back from day-to-day management but stayed a major shareholder, and in 2023 publicly clashed with the board and Sequoia's Michael Moritz over governance. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).