Affirm vs Fiserv: Founders, CEOs and History
Affirm was founded in 2012 by Max Levchin, Nathan Gettings, Jeffrey Kaditz and is led by Max Levchin. Fiserv was founded in 1984 by Leslie M. Muma, George D. Dalton and is led by Takis Georgakopoulos.
Company facts
Founders
Affirm
Max Levchin
Max Levchin (born 1975) is a highly influential Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor. After helping build the foundational infrastructure of the modern digital payments industry at PayPal, he founded Affirm to challenge traditional credit card networks.
Nathan Gettings
Nathan Gettings co-founded Affirm, bringing immense expertise in massive-scale data analytics and risk modeling from his time building Palantir's core anti-fraud systems.
Jeffrey Kaditz
Jeffrey Kaditz co-founded Affirm and served as its first Chief Technology Officer.
Alex Rampell
Alex Rampell co-founded Affirm based on his deep understanding of point-of-sale financing and merchant networks.
Fiserv
Leslie M. Muma
Leslie M. Muma is a co-founder of Fiserv. He led the company's Florida operations after the 1984 merger, served as president for many years and later succeeded George Dalton as CEO, leading Fiserv until Jeff Yabuki took over in 2005.
George D. Dalton
George D. Dalton co-founded Fiserv in 1984 and served as its first CEO and chairman.
CEOs and their tenures
Affirm
- Max Levchin2014–present
Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
Levchin founded Affirm in 2012 and leads its payment network, lending products, and no-late-fee strategy. He previously co-founded PayPal and served as its chief technology officer.
Source
Fiserv
- Jeff Yabuki2005–2020
Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO from 2005 to 2020, he generated absolutely massive shareholder returns (the stock rose over 900% during his tenure) by ruthlessly acquiring and integrating hundreds of smaller fintech companies.
Source - Frank J. Bisignano2020–2025
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
As CEO of the combined Fiserv, he aggressively pushes the 'Clover' point-of-sale hardware to directly combat Square (Block) and Toast in the fiercely competitive restaurant and small business sector.
Source - Paul Todd2025–present
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, he manages the massive capital return program (billions in share buybacks) that keeps the stock price highly elevated despite severe competitive threats to the core business.
Source - Michael P. Lyons2025–2026
President and Chief Executive Officer
As a key segment president, he defends the incredibly sticky, highly lucrative bank technology division from modern, cloud-based core banking upstarts like nCino and Mambu.
Source - Takis Georgakopoulos2026–present
Chief Executive Officer
Appointed as a senior executive in 2024, he oversees the absolutely critical merchant acceptance business, attempting to modernize the legacy infrastructure that powers millions of global transactions daily.
Source
Timeline: Affirm and Fiserv side by side
1984Fiserv
Fiserv founded
George Dalton's Milwaukee data processing operation and Leslie Muma's Sunshine State Systems combined to form Fiserv.
1986Fiserv
Nasdaq IPO
Fiserv went public on Nasdaq under the ticker FISV.
2005Fiserv
Jeffery Yabuki Becomes CEO
Jeffery Yabuki became chief executive of Fiserv in December 2005.
2007Fiserv
CheckFree acquisition
Bought online bill payment company CheckFree for about $4.4 billion.
2012Affirm
Affirm Founded
Max Levchin, Nathan Gettings, Jeffrey Kaditz, and Alex Rampell founded Affirm as part of the HVF startup studio.
2013Fiserv
Open Solutions Acquired
Fiserv bought the banking-software company Open Solutions in January 2013.
2016Affirm
Sweep Acquired
Affirm acquired the technology, staff, and assets of personal-finance app Sweep; terms were not disclosed.
2018Fiserv
Fiserv Forum Naming Rights
Fiserv bought the naming rights to the Milwaukee Bucks arena, Fiserv Forum, in 2018.
2019Affirm
Walmart Partnership
Affirm began offering installment financing to Walmart customers online and in stores.
2019Affirm
$300 Million Series F
Affirm announced a $300 million Series F funding round led by Thrive Capital.
2019Fiserv
First Data merger
Completed the all-stock acquisition of First Data, valued around $22 billion, adding Clover and merchant acquiring.
2020Affirm
$500 Million Series G
Affirm raised a $500 million Series G and said it had raised more than $1.3 billion from investors to date.
2020Affirm
Shopify Partnership
Shopify selected Affirm to power Shop Pay Installments in the United States.
2020Fiserv
Frank Bisignano becomes CEO
Former First Data CEO Frank Bisignano succeeded Jeff Yabuki.
2021Affirm
PayBright Acquisition Completed
Affirm completed its acquisition of Canadian BNPL provider PayBright after announcing consideration of approximately $245 million (C$340 million).
2021Affirm
Nasdaq IPO
Affirm sold 24.6 million Class A shares at $49 each in its initial public offering and began trading on Nasdaq under AFRM.
2021Affirm
Returnly Acquisition Completed
Affirm completed its approximately $300 million acquisition of online returns and post-purchase payments provider Returnly.
2021Affirm
Amazon Partnership
Affirm began testing pay-over-time options for eligible Amazon.com purchases in the United States.
2022Fiserv
Acquired Finxact
Fiserv acquired Finxact for $650 million.
2023Affirm
Affirm Card Launch
Affirm launched its debit card with pay-in-full and pay-over-time functionality.
2023Fiserv
Move to NYSE as FI
Fiserv transferred its listing to the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker FI.
2024Affirm
United Kingdom Launch
Affirm launched its pay-over-time products in the United Kingdom, its first market outside the United States and Canada.
2025Fiserv
Mike Lyons becomes CEO; stock crashes
Lyons took over in May 2025 when Bisignano became Social Security Commissioner. On October 29, 2025, shares fell 44% after a guidance cut; Paul Todd became CFO and the company returned to Nasdaq as FISV.
2026Fiserv
Takis Georgakopoulos named CEO
Lyons left in June 2026 to run Truist; Georgakopoulos was appointed CEO. In August, Fiserv cut 2026 guidance after a 4% Q2 revenue decline.
Acquisitions
Fiserv
- Finxact2022$650M
- First Data Corporation2019$22B
- CheckFree Corporation2007$4.4B
Questions about Affirm vs Fiserv
Who is the CEO of Affirm Holdings, Inc. and Fiserv, Inc.?
Affirm Holdings, Inc. is led by Max Levchin and Fiserv, Inc. is led by Takis Georgakopoulos. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Affirm Holdings, Inc. founded vs Fiserv, Inc.?
Fiserv, Inc. was founded in 1984 — 28 years before Affirm Holdings, Inc., which was founded in 2012. Fiserv, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Affirm Holdings, Inc..
How many employees does Affirm Holdings, Inc. have compared to Fiserv, Inc.?
Affirm Holdings, Inc. employs approximately 2,358 people, while Fiserv, Inc. employs approximately 38,000. Fiserv, Inc. has the larger workforce at 38,000 employees, compared to Affirm Holdings, Inc.'s 2,358. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Affirm Holdings, Inc. and Fiserv, Inc. headquartered?
Both Affirm Holdings, Inc. and Fiserv, Inc. are headquartered in United States. Their local rules and tax obligations may still differ.
Who founded Affirm Holdings, Inc. and Fiserv, Inc.?
Affirm Holdings, Inc. was founded by Max Levchin, Nathan Gettings, Jeffrey Kaditz, Alex Rampell. Fiserv, Inc. was founded by Leslie M. Muma, George D. Dalton.
Which company has a longer operating history — Affirm Holdings, Inc. or Fiserv, Inc.?
Fiserv, Inc. has been operating for approximately 42 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Affirm Holdings, Inc. has been in operation for around 14 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 Affirm vs Fiserv overview