Adyen vs PayPal: Founders, CEOs and History
Adyen was founded in 2006 by Pieter van der Does, Arnout Schuijff and is led by Pieter van der Does and Ingo Uytdehaage. PayPal was founded in 1998 by Max Levchin, Peter Thiel, Luke Nosek and is led by Enrique Lores.
Company facts
Founders
Adyen
Pieter van der Does
Pieter van der Does co-founded Adyen in 2006 and serves as co-CEO. He led the company through its June 2018 Euronext Amsterdam listing and remains a member of the Management Board.
Arnout Schuijff
Arnout Schuijff co-founded Adyen and served as its Chief Technology Officer. He helped establish the technology platform built to replace fragmented payment systems.
PayPal
Max Levchin
PayPal possesses arguably the most well-known, mythological, and influential founding story in the entire history of Silicon Valley, famously creating the 'PayPal Mafia', a concentrated group of effective, idiosyncratic founders who went on to literally build…
Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel served as an early strategic leader and CEO during the period when PayPal chose payments over broader online banking.
Luke Nosek
Luke Nosek co-founded Confinity with Max Levchin and Peter Thiel in 1998 and led marketing and strategy in PayPal's early years.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk founded X.com in 1999 as an online bank after selling Zip2. X.com merged with Confinity in March 2000, and Musk served as CEO of the combined company until the board replaced him with Peter Thiel later that year.
CEOs and their tenures
Adyen
- Pieter van der Does2006–present
Co-CEO and Co-Founder
Co-founded Adyen, led it through its 2018 Euronext Amsterdam listing, and continues to oversee the company under the co-CEO structure.
Source - Ingo Uytdehaage2023–present
Co-CEO
Became co-CEO after serving as CFO and took responsibility for operations and product leadership.
Source
PayPal
- Alex Chriss2023–2026
President and Chief Executive Officer
Joined from Intuit in September 2023 after Dan Schulman. Margins and buybacks improved during his tenure, but branded checkout growth stayed slow, and the board replaced him with Enrique Lores effective March 1, 2026.
Source - Enrique Lores2026–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
Former HP Inc. CEO (2019-2026) and PayPal board chair; replaced Alex Chriss as CEO effective March 1, 2026. In his first full quarter (Q2 2026) PayPal beat estimates and raised full-year EPS guidance.
Source
Timeline: Adyen and PayPal side by side
1998PayPal
Confinity Founded
PayPal traces its origins to Confinity and the early X.com online payments era.
2002PayPal
IPO and eBay Acquisition
PayPal went public and was acquired by eBay in 2002.
2006Adyen
Adyen founded in Amsterdam
A group of payments entrepreneurs including Pieter van der Does and Arnout Schuijff founded Adyen.
2012Adyen
North American office opened
Adyen opened its San Francisco office as it expanded its international merchant business.
2014Adyen
Growth investment announced
General Atlantic and Temasek joined existing investors in a $250 million funding round.
2015PayPal
PayPal Spins Off From eBay
PayPal became an independent public company again in 2015.
2017Adyen
European banking license obtained
Adyen obtained a European banking license, expanding its ability to provide acquiring and settlement services.
2018Adyen
eBay payments partnership announced
eBay selected Adyen as a primary payments processing partner for its managed-payments transition.
2018Adyen
Euronext Amsterdam listing
Adyen began trading on Euronext Amsterdam on June 13, 2018 at an offer price of €240 per share.
2021Adyen
US banking branch launched
Adyen launched its US banking branch after receiving federal and state approvals.
2022Adyen
Embedded financial products expanded
Adyen introduced business accounts and capital products for platform customers in addition to issuing.
2023Adyen
Co-CEO structure established
Ingo Uytdehaage became co-CEO alongside Pieter van der Does after shareholder approval.
2024Adyen
Annual processed volume exceeded ~$1.13 trillion (€1 trillion)
Adyen reported ~$1.45 trillion (€1.286 trillion) of processed volume and ~$2.28 billion (€2.015 billion) of net revenue for 2024.
2025Adyen
Net revenue reached ~$2.67 billion (€2.3642 billion)
FY2025 net revenue rose 18% to ~$2.67 billion (€2.3642 billion); processed volume was separately reported at ~$1.58 trillion (€1.3943 trillion).
2025PayPal
$33.172B FY2025 Revenue
PayPal reported $33.172 billion of revenue and $5.233 billion of net income.
2026Adyen
Talon.One and Orb acquisitions closed
Adyen completed both acquisitions on July 1, adding loyalty and incentives technology from Talon.One and enterprise billing from Orb.
2026PayPal
Enrique Lores Named CEO
PayPal appointed Enrique Lores President and CEO effective March 1, 2026.
2026PayPal
Strategic Reorganization Announced
PayPal reorganized around checkout, consumer financial services, Venmo, payment services, and crypto.
2026PayPal
Q2 2026 Beat and Raised Guidance
Q2 2026 revenue rose 5% to $8.68 billion and TPV rose 10% to $486.4 billion; full-year non-GAAP EPS guidance was raised to about $5.38.
2026PayPal
Stripe and Advent Takeover Approach Ends
PayPal's board reportedly rejected a $60.50-per-share approach valuing it above $53 billion; the Stripe and Advent consortium dropped its pursuit on August 28, 2026.
Acquisitions
PayPal
- Paidy2021$2.7B
- Honey2020$4B
- IZettle2018$2.2B
- Simility2018$120M
- Xoom2015$890M
- Braintree2013$800M
Questions about Adyen vs PayPal
Who is the CEO of Adyen N.V. and PayPal Holdings, Inc.?
Adyen N.V. is led by Pieter van der Does and Ingo Uytdehaage and PayPal Holdings, Inc. is led by Enrique Lores. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Adyen N.V. founded vs PayPal Holdings, Inc.?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1998 — 8 years before Adyen N.V., which was founded in 2006. PayPal Holdings, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Adyen N.V..
How many employees does Adyen N.V. have compared to PayPal Holdings, Inc.?
Adyen N.V. employs approximately 4,771 people, while PayPal Holdings, Inc. employs approximately 23,800. PayPal Holdings, Inc. has the larger workforce at 23,800 employees, compared to Adyen N.V.'s 4,771. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Adyen N.V. and PayPal Holdings, Inc. headquartered?
Adyen N.V. is headquartered in Netherlands and PayPal Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Adyen N.V. and PayPal Holdings, Inc.?
Adyen N.V. was founded by Pieter van der Does, Arnout Schuijff. PayPal Holdings, Inc. was founded by Max Levchin, Peter Thiel, Luke Nosek, Elon Musk.
Which company has a longer operating history — Adyen N.V. or PayPal Holdings, Inc.?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. has been operating for approximately 28 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Adyen N.V. has been in operation for around 20 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Adyen vs PayPal overview