Robinhood Markets vs Visa: Founders, CEOs and History
Robinhood Markets was founded in 2013 by Vlad Tenev, Baiju Bhatt and is led by Vlad Tenev. Visa was founded in 1958 by Dee Hock and is led by Ryan McInerney.
Company facts
Robinhood Markets
- Founded
- 2013
- Headquarters
- Menlo Park, California
- Current CEO
- Vlad Tenev
- Employees
- 2,900
Visa
- Founded
- 1958
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California
- Current CEO
- Ryan McInerney
- Employees
- 34,100
Founders
Robinhood Markets
Vlad Tenev
Vlad Tenev co-founded Robinhood in 2013 and has been sole CEO since November 2020; he is also chairman.
Baiju Bhatt
Baiju Bhatt co-founded Robinhood in 2013 and was co-CEO with Vlad Tenev until November 2020, when he became Chief Creative Officer and focused on product and design.
Visa
Dee Hock
Dee Hock (1929-2022) was the founding CEO of National BankAmericard Inc., the bank-owned company that took over the BankAmericard licensing system from Bank of America in 1970 and adopted the Visa name in 1976.
CEOs and their tenures
Robinhood Markets
- Vlad Tenev2013–present
Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Under Tenev, Robinhood moved from a $541 million net loss in 2023 to $1.883 billion of net income on $4.473 billion of revenue in 2025.
Source - Baiju Bhatt2013–2020
Co-founder and former co-CEO
As Co-Founder and former Co-CEO, he was the absolute driving force behind the platform's incredibly intuitive, gamified user interface that completely revolutionized retail investing before stepping down to focus on product innovation.
Source - Shiv Verma2025–present
Chief Financial Officer
As a senior leader, he heavily supported the rapid scaling of Robinhood's incredibly robust trading infrastructure during massive retail spikes.
Source
Visa
- Alfred F. Kelly Jr.2016–2023
Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO from 2016 to 2023, he heavily modernized the massive legacy network, aggressively integrating fintechs and preparing the network to process highly complex cryptocurrency transactions.
Source - Ryan McInerney2023–present
Chief Executive Officer
McInerney joined Visa in 2013 as president after senior roles at JPMorgan Chase and became chief executive on February 1, 2023, succeeding Alfred F. Kelly Jr.
Source
Timeline: Robinhood Markets and Visa side by side
1958Visa
BankAmericard launched
Bank of America launched BankAmericard, the direct predecessor to Visa.
1976Visa
Visa name adopted
The network adopted the Visa name to support international acceptance and brand consistency.
2008Visa
Visa IPO
Visa became a public company, changing the economics from a bank association structure to a shareholder-owned company.
2013Robinhood Markets
Robinhood is founded
Vlad Tenev and Baiju Bhatt found Robinhood with a mission to democratize access to investing.
2015Robinhood Markets
Mobile app launches
Robinhood launches commission-free stock trading through a simple mobile brokerage app.
2016Visa
Alfred F. Kelly Jr. becomes CEO
Alfred F. Kelly Jr. became CEO of Visa in 2016. Chief executive of Visa from December 2016 to January 2023, when Ryan McInerney succeeded him; Kelly then served as executive chairman.
2018Robinhood Markets
Robinhood Crypto launches
Robinhood expands into crypto trading, adding a major cyclical revenue driver.
2020Visa
Acquired Plaid (abandoned)
Visa acquired Plaid (abandoned) for $5.3 billion. Visa agreed in January 2020 to buy US data-connectivity fintech Plaid for USD 5.3 billion.
2021Robinhood Markets
GameStop restrictions and IPO
Robinhood faces scrutiny during the meme-stock trading episode and later goes public on Nasdaq.
2022Visa
Tink acquisition
Visa completed its purchase of Stockholm-based open banking platform Tink in March 2022.
2023Robinhood Markets
X1 acquisition adds card capability
Robinhood acquires X1, helping build the Robinhood Gold Card strategy.
2023Visa
Ryan McInerney becomes CEO
Ryan McInerney became Visa's CEO after serving as president.
2024Robinhood Markets
Robinhood Gold Card launches
Robinhood launches the Gold Card, built on technology from its 2023 X1 acquisition.
2025Robinhood Markets
TradePMR and Bitstamp expand product reach
Robinhood uses acquisitions to expand advisory infrastructure and crypto exchange capability.
2025Robinhood Markets
Revenue reaches $4.473B
Robinhood reports FY2025 total net revenues of $4.473B and net income of $1.883B.
2025Robinhood Markets
Joins the S&P 500
Robinhood is added to the S&P 500 index in September 2025.
2025Visa
Revenue reaches $40.0B
Visa reported $40.0 billion in fiscal 2025 net revenue.
2026Robinhood Markets
Q1 revenue of $1.07 billion
Robinhood reports Q1 2026 total net revenues of $1.07 billion, up 15%, as crypto revenue falls.
2026Robinhood Markets
10% workforce reduction
In June 2026 Robinhood cuts about 290 roles to flatten management layers.
2026Robinhood Markets
Record Q2 revenue of $1.31 billion
Q2 2026 revenue rises 32% to $1.31 billion, net income reaches $573 million, and funded customers hit 28.4 million.
Acquisitions
Robinhood Markets
- TradePMR2025$300M
- Bitstamp2025$200M
- X12023$95M
- Say Technologies2021$140M
- MarketSnacks2019Undisclosed
Questions about Robinhood Markets vs Visa
Who is the CEO of Robinhood Markets, Inc. and Visa Inc.?
Robinhood Markets, Inc. is led by Vlad Tenev and Visa Inc. is led by Ryan McInerney. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Robinhood Markets, Inc. founded vs Visa Inc.?
Visa Inc. was founded in 1958 — 55 years before Robinhood Markets, Inc., which was founded in 2013. Visa Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Robinhood Markets, Inc..
How many employees does Robinhood Markets, Inc. have compared to Visa Inc.?
Robinhood Markets, Inc. employs approximately 2,900 people, while Visa Inc. employs approximately 34,100. Visa Inc. has the larger workforce at 34,100 employees, compared to Robinhood Markets, Inc.'s 2,900. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Robinhood Markets, Inc. and Visa Inc. headquartered?
Both Robinhood Markets, Inc. and Visa Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Robinhood Markets, Inc. and Visa Inc.?
Robinhood Markets, Inc. was founded by Vlad Tenev, Baiju Bhatt. Visa Inc. was founded by Dee Hock.
Which company has a longer operating history — Robinhood Markets, Inc. or Visa Inc.?
Visa Inc. has been operating for approximately 68 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Robinhood Markets, Inc. has been in operation for around 13 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 Robinhood Markets vs Visa overview