PayPal vs Revolut: Founders, CEOs and History
PayPal was founded in 1998 by Max Levchin, Peter Thiel, Luke Nosek and is led by Enrique Lores. Revolut was founded in 2015 by Nikolay Storonsky, Vlad Yatsenko and is led by Nikolay Storonsky.
Company facts
Founders
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.
Revolut
Nikolay Storonsky
Nikolay (Nik) Storonsky co-founded Revolut in 2015 and has been its CEO since. He led the company from a prepaid travel card to a multinational bank with ~$5.94 billion (£4.5 billion) of 2025 revenue and remains its largest individual shareholder.
Vlad Yatsenko
Vlad Yatsenko co-founded Revolut with Storonsky in 2015 and served as its long-time chief technology officer, leading the in-house engineering of its core banking, payments and card platforms.
CEOs and their tenures
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
Revolut
- Nik Storonsky2015–present
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Has led Revolut since 2015, taking it to ~$5.94B (£4.5B) revenue in 2025 and a full UK banking licence in 2026.
Source - Vlad Yatsenko2015–present
Co-Founder
Long-time CTO who led the in-house build of Revolut's core banking and payments technology.
Source - Martin Gilbert2020–present
Chair
Former Aberdeen Asset Management chief who chairs Revolut's board through its UK licensing.
Source
Timeline: PayPal and Revolut 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.
2015PayPal
PayPal Spins Off From eBay
PayPal became an independent public company again in 2015.
2015Revolut
Revolut Founded at Level39 Canary Wharf
Nik Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko founded Revolut in London, launching multi-currency cards with zero FX fees.
2017Revolut
Launches Revolut Business & Crypto Trading
Debuted corporate business accounts and cryptocurrency exchange, igniting rapid user growth past 1M users.
2018Revolut
$250M Series C at $1.7B Valuation & European Banking License
Achieved unicorn status led by DST Global and secured a European banking license from the Bank of Lithuania.
2020Revolut
$500M Series D at $5.5B Valuation Led by TCV
Raised $500M during the pandemic, expanding global operations into the United States, Japan, and Australia.
2021Revolut
$800M Series E at $33.0B Valuation Led by SoftBank & Tiger Global
Closed a large $800M financing round valuing Revolut at $33.0 billion, becoming the UK's most valuable tech firm.
2023Revolut
Revolut posts ~$2.38B (£1.8B) revenue and ~$578M (£438M) pre-tax profit
2023 results showed revenue nearly doubling.
2024Revolut
Secures UK Banking License Authorization from PRA
Achieved landmark approval for a UK banking license with restrictions from the Bank of England.
2024Revolut
$45.0B Valuation Secondary Sale Led by Coatue and Greenoaks
Completed landmark secondary share sale valuing Revolut at $45.0 billion, solidifying Europe's top tech valuation.
2025PayPal
$33.172B FY2025 Revenue
PayPal reported $33.172 billion of revenue and $5.233 billion of net income.
2025Revolut
$75B valuation
November 2025 share sale led by Coatue, Greenoaks, Dragoneer and Fidelity.
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.
2026Revolut
Full UK banking licence
Revolut Bank UK exited mobilisation on 11 March 2026.
2026Revolut
$115B secondary share sale
July 2026 sale priced shares at $2,017.
Acquisitions
PayPal
- Paidy2021$2.7B
- Honey2020$4B
- IZettle2018$2.2B
- Simility2018$120M
- Xoom2015$890M
- Braintree2013$800M
Questions about PayPal vs Revolut
Who is the CEO of PayPal Holdings, Inc. and Revolut Ltd?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. is led by Enrique Lores and Revolut Ltd is led by Nikolay Storonsky. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was PayPal Holdings, Inc. founded vs Revolut Ltd?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1998 — 17 years before Revolut Ltd, which was founded in 2015. PayPal Holdings, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Revolut Ltd.
How many employees does PayPal Holdings, Inc. have compared to Revolut Ltd?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. employs approximately 23,800 people, while Revolut Ltd employs approximately 12,000. PayPal Holdings, Inc. has the larger workforce at 23,800 employees, compared to Revolut Ltd's 12,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are PayPal Holdings, Inc. and Revolut Ltd headquartered?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in United States and Revolut Ltd is headquartered in United Kingdom. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded PayPal Holdings, Inc. and Revolut Ltd?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. was founded by Max Levchin, Peter Thiel, Luke Nosek, Elon Musk. Revolut Ltd was founded by Nikolay Storonsky, Vlad Yatsenko.
Which company has a longer operating history — PayPal Holdings, Inc. or Revolut Ltd?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. has been operating for approximately 28 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Revolut Ltd has been in operation for around 11 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 PayPal vs Revolut overview