Klarna vs Meta: Founders, CEOs and History
Klarna was founded in 2005 by Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Niklas Adalberth, Victor Jacobsson and is led by Sebastian Siemiatkowski. Meta was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum and is led by Mark Zuckerberg.
Company facts
Founders
Klarna
Sebastian Siemiatkowski
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, born in 1981 in Sweden to Polish immigrant parents, co-founded Klarna (originally Kreditor) with Niklas Adalberth and Victor Jacobsson in 2005.
Niklas Adalberth
Niklas Adalberth co-founded Klarna in 2005 with Sebastian Siemiatkowski and Victor Jacobsson and helped run the business during its expansion as Deputy CEO.
Victor Jacobsson
Victor Jacobsson co-founded Klarna in 2005 with Sebastian Siemiatkowski and Niklas Adalberth.
Meta
Mark Zuckerberg
Meta possesses arguably the most scrutinized, polarizing, and dramatized founding story of the 21st century, rooted entirely in the exclusive, intensely competitive dormitory culture of Harvard University and driven by an effective, socially awkward computer p…
Eduardo Saverin
Eduardo Saverin was a Facebook co-founder and the company's first chief financial officer, but his long-term story diverged sharply from the company he helped start.
Andrew McCollum
Andrew McCollum co-founded Facebook but left the company relatively early compared with Zuckerberg and Moskovitz. After Facebook, he continued in technology and entrepreneurship, including work connected to education and startup leadership.
Dustin Moskovitz
Dustin Moskovitz co-founded Facebook and served as a key early technical and operational leader before leaving in 2008 to co-found Asana.
Chris Hughes
Chris Hughes co-founded Facebook and later became known for his work in media, politics, and public policy after leaving the company.
CEOs and their tenures
Klarna
- Sebastian Siemiatkowski2005–present
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Has led Klarna since its founding, growing it from a Stockholm invoice startup into a $3.5 billion-revenue public company.
Source - Niklas Adalberth2005–2015
Co-founder, former Deputy CEO
As Co-Founder, he served as Deputy CEO, scaling the company across Europe before resigning in 2015 to found the Norrsken Foundation, a tech-focused philanthropic fund.
Source - Niclas Neglén2021–present
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, he engineered the severe cost-cutting measures required to drive the company back toward profitability ahead of its highly anticipated US IPO.
Source
Meta
- Mark Zuckerberg2004–present
Founder, Chairman and CEO
Zuckerberg sets product and capital priorities and controls the majority of shareholder voting power through Class B shares.
Source - Eduardo Saverin2004–2005
Co-Founder
Eduardo Saverin co-founded Facebook with Mark Zuckerberg while at Harvard in 2004, providing the initial seed funding and serving as the company's first CFO and business manager.
Source
Timeline: Klarna and Meta side by side
2004Meta
Facebook launches at Harvard
Facebook launched on February 4, 2004, as a real-name student network. The product mattered because it made identity, campus trust and friend connections the core of the service before the company became a public social platform.
2005Klarna
Founded as Kreditor
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Niklas Adalberth and Victor Jacobsson launch an invoice-after-delivery service for Swedish online shops.
2007Meta
Ad platform becomes the business model
Facebook's advertising products turned user attention into a scalable commercial system. The shift mattered because the company could keep the consumer product free while charging marketers for measurable reach, targeting and conversion tools.
2009Klarna
Renamed Klarna
Kreditor is rebranded as Klarna and expands across the Nordics and into Germany and the Netherlands.
2012Meta
Instagram acquisition
Facebook agreed to acquire Instagram for about $1 billion in cash and stock. The deal mattered because Instagram was mobile-native at a moment when Facebook needed to prove it could survive the smartphone shift.
2012Meta
Facebook IPO
Facebook completed its initial public offering in May 2012, raising about $16 billion.
2014Klarna
Acquires SOFORT
Klarna completes its purchase of German bank-transfer payment provider SOFORT, giving it scale in the DACH region.
2014Meta
WhatsApp acquisition
Facebook announced a deal to acquire WhatsApp, adding a large private messaging network to a company still known mainly for public feeds.
2014Meta
Oculus acquisition
Facebook agreed to acquire Oculus VR for about $2 billion. The deal mattered because it gave the company a hardware and immersive-computing bet years before the Meta rebrand.
2017Klarna
Swedish banking licence
Klarna receives a full banking licence from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, operating as Klarna Bank AB.
2021Klarna
$45.6 billion valuation
A SoftBank-led funding round values Klarna at $45.6 billion during the pandemic e-commerce boom.
2021Meta
Facebook becomes Meta
Facebook changed its corporate name to Meta in 2021 to bring its apps and technologies under a new company brand.
2022Klarna
Valuation reset and layoffs
Klarna cuts about 10% of staff in May and raises money in July at a $6.7 billion valuation.
2023Meta
Threads launch
Meta launched Threads in July 2023 and said the app passed 100 million sign-ups in its first five days. The launch mattered because Instagram distribution gave Meta a fast entry into real-time text conversation.
2024Klarna
Return to net profit
Klarna reports a $21 million net profit for 2024 on $2.81 billion of revenue.
2024Meta
$164.501B revenue
Meta reported $164.501 billion in FY2024 revenue and $62.360 billion in net income. The year mattered because AI-powered ad tools, Reels monetization and expense discipline restored confidence after the 2022 slowdown.
2025Klarna
NYSE IPO
Klarna lists on the New York Stock Exchange as KLAR in September 2025, pricing at $40 per share.
2025Meta
$200.966B Revenue
Meta reported $200.966B in FY2025 revenue, $60.458B in net income, $83.276B in income from operations, and 78,865 employees at year-end.
2026Klarna
FY2025 results
Klarna reports $3.51 billion of FY2025 revenue, $127.9 billion of GMV, $65 million of adjusted operating profit and a $273 million net loss.
2026Klarna
Q2 profit and guidance cut
Klarna posts a $9 million Q2 2026 net profit on $1.042 billion of revenue but lowers 2026 GMV guidance to $149-151 billion.
2026Meta
Q2 2026 revenue up 28%
Meta reported Q2 2026 revenue of $60.80B, up 28%, and net income of $15.85B, down 14%, after $2.40B of legal charges and $1.18B of severance from a May 2026 headcount reduction. It narrowed 2026 capex guidance to $130-145B.
Acquisitions
Klarna
- PriceRunner2022Undisclosed
- APPRL2021Undisclosed
- HERO2021Undisclosed
- Stocard2021Undisclosed
- Moneymour2020Undisclosed
- BillPay2017Undisclosed
Meta
- Kustomer2022$1B
- CTRL-labs2019$500M
- WhatsApp2014$19B
- Oculus VR2014$2B
- Instagram2012$1B
Questions about Klarna vs Meta
Who is the CEO of Klarna Group plc and Meta Platforms, Inc.?
Klarna Group plc is led by Sebastian Siemiatkowski and Meta Platforms, Inc. is led by Mark Zuckerberg. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Klarna Group plc founded vs Meta Platforms, Inc.?
Meta Platforms, Inc. was founded in 2004 — 1 year before Klarna Group plc, which was founded in 2005. Meta Platforms, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Klarna Group plc.
How many employees does Klarna Group plc have compared to Meta Platforms, Inc.?
Klarna Group plc employs approximately 2,831 people, while Meta Platforms, Inc. employs approximately 75,472. Meta Platforms, Inc. has the larger workforce at 75,472 employees, compared to Klarna Group plc's 2,831. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Klarna Group plc and Meta Platforms, Inc. headquartered?
Klarna Group plc is headquartered in United Kingdom and Meta Platforms, Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Klarna Group plc and Meta Platforms, Inc.?
Klarna Group plc was founded by Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Niklas Adalberth, Victor Jacobsson. Meta Platforms, Inc. was founded by Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes.
Which company has a longer operating history — Klarna Group plc or Meta Platforms, Inc.?
Meta Platforms, Inc. has been operating for approximately 22 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Klarna Group plc has been in operation for around 21 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 Klarna vs Meta overview