PayPal vs Stripe: Founders, CEOs and History
PayPal was founded in 1998 by Max Levchin, Peter Thiel, Luke Nosek and is led by Enrique Lores. Stripe was founded in 2010 by Patrick Collison, John Collison and is led by Patrick Collison.
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.
Stripe
Patrick Collison
Patrick Collison is Stripe's co-founder and CEO. Before Stripe he co-founded Auctomatic, an eBay seller-tools startup that was acquired in 2008. In 2010 he and his brother John started Stripe to make online payments easy for developers to integrate.
John Collison
John Collison is Stripe's co-founder and President. He has focused on Stripe's commercial expansion, large-customer relationships and partnerships with banks and card networks.
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
Stripe
- Patrick Collison2010–present
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
He built Stripe from a developer payments API into a platform that handled $1.9 trillion of business volume in 2025.
Source - John Collison2010–present
Co-founder and President
John Collison co-founded Stripe and serves as President, focusing on commercial growth, large customers and partnerships with banks and card networks.
Source
Timeline: PayPal and Stripe 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.
2010Stripe
Stripe is founded
Patrick and John Collison founded Stripe to simplify online payments for developers.
2011Stripe
Stripe launches publicly
Stripe became known for developer-friendly payment APIs and fast onboarding.
2015PayPal
PayPal Spins Off From eBay
PayPal became an independent public company again in 2015.
2020Stripe
Paystack acquisition
Stripe acquired Paystack to deepen payment infrastructure in African markets.
2025PayPal
$33.172B FY2025 Revenue
PayPal reported $33.172 billion of revenue and $5.233 billion of net income.
2025Stripe
Bridge acquisition completed
Stripe completed the Bridge acquisition and expanded stablecoin infrastructure.
2025Stripe
$1.9T in total volume
Businesses on Stripe generated $1.9 trillion in total volume, up 34% from 2024.
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.
2026Stripe
$159B tender valuation
Stripe announced a tender offer for current and former employees at a $159 billion valuation in February 2026.
2026Stripe
$53B PayPal bid dropped
Stripe and Advent International made a joint offer of about $53.4 billion for PayPal in July 2026 and abandoned it in late August.
2026Stripe
OpenRouter acquisition agreed
Stripe agreed to acquire AI model gateway OpenRouter in August 2026, reportedly for about $7.5 billion.
Acquisitions
PayPal
- Paidy2021$2.7B
- Honey2020$4B
- IZettle2018$2.2B
- Simility2018$120M
- Xoom2015$890M
- Braintree2013$800M
Stripe
- OpenRouter2026$7.5B
- Bridge2025$1.1B
- Privy2025Undisclosed
- Metronome2025Undisclosed
- Lemon Squeezy2024Undisclosed
- Recko2021Undisclosed
Questions about PayPal vs Stripe
Who is the CEO of PayPal Holdings, Inc. and Stripe, Inc.?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. is led by Enrique Lores and Stripe, Inc. is led by Patrick Collison. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was PayPal Holdings, Inc. founded vs Stripe, Inc.?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1998 — 12 years before Stripe, Inc., which was founded in 2010. PayPal Holdings, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Stripe, Inc..
How many employees does PayPal Holdings, Inc. have compared to Stripe, Inc.?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. employs approximately 23,800 people, while Stripe, Inc. employs approximately 9,000. PayPal Holdings, Inc. has the larger workforce at 23,800 employees, compared to Stripe, Inc.'s 9,000. 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 Stripe, Inc. headquartered?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in United States and Stripe, Inc. is headquartered in United States / Ireland. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded PayPal Holdings, Inc. and Stripe, Inc.?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. was founded by Max Levchin, Peter Thiel, Luke Nosek, Elon Musk. Stripe, Inc. was founded by Patrick Collison, John Collison.
Which company has a longer operating history — PayPal Holdings, Inc. or Stripe, Inc.?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. has been operating for approximately 28 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Stripe, Inc. has been in operation for around 16 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 Stripe overview