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Company · Fintech

PayPal

PayPal was founded in 1998 in San Jose, USA by Elon Musk, Ken Howery, Luke Nosek, Max Levchin and 2 others. It is a Fintech company.

Online payments platform enabling digital money transfers.

Public Founded 1998 San Jose USA Fintech
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PayPal founders & co-founders

6
E
Elon Musk
Co-founder
 K
Ken Howery
Co-founder
 L
Luke Nosek
Co-founder
 M
Max Levchin
Co-founder
 P
Peter Thiel
Co-founder & CEO
 Y
Yu Pan
Co-founder

Where its founders came from

1

The companies and labs that produced PayPal’s founders.

Zip2

What happened to PayPal’s founders and alumni

93 companies All ex-PayPal founders →

People who worked at or founded PayPal and went on to start their own companies.

Lineage of PayPalPayPalPayPalElon MuskElon MuskZip2Zip2X.comX.comSpaceXSpaceXTeslaTeslaJoe LonsdaleJoe LonsdalePalantirPalantirPalantir TechnologiesPalantir TechnologiesAddeparAddeparFormation 8Formation 8Peter ThielPeter ThielThe Stanford ReviewThe Stanford ReviewConfinityConfinityClarium CapitalClarium CapitalPalantirPalantirChad HurleyChad HurleyYouTubeYouTubeAVOS SystemsAVOS SystemsMixBitMixBitGreenPark SportsGreenPark SportsDavid O. SacksDavid O. SacksGeni.comGeni.comYammerYammerCraft VenturesCraft VenturesCallinCallinMax LevchinMax LevchinConfinityConfinitySlideSlideHVF LabsHVF LabsAffirmAffirmSteve ChenSteve ChenYouTubeYouTubeAVOS SystemsAVOS SystemsUSFIAUSFIAMixBitMixBitReid HoffmanReid HoffmanSocialNetSocialNetLinkedInLinkedInInflection AIInflection AIManas AIManas AINathan GettingsNathan GettingsPalantirPalantirPalantir TechnologiesPalantir TechnologiesAffirmAffirmDave McClureDave McClure500 Startups500 Startups500 Global500 GlobalDavid A. MarcusDavid A. MarcusDiemDiemLightsparkLightsparkKeith RaboisKeith RaboisOpendoorOpendoorOpenStoreOpenStoreKen HoweryKen HoweryConfinityConfinityFounders FundFounders FundKimbal MuskKimbal MuskZip2Zip2The Kitchen Restaurant GroupThe Kitchen Restauran…
The PayPal lineage graph — click any node to keep exploring.
A 1 founded
Clip 2012
A 1 founded
Valar Ventures 2010
C 6 founded
YouTube 2005 AVOS Systems 2011 MixBit 2013 GreenPark Sports 2018 EyeTell Green Park
D 1 founded
PayNearMe 2009
D 2 founded
500 Startups 2010 500 Global 2010
D 2 founded
Diem 2019 Lightspark
D 6 founded
Geni.com 2006 Yammer 2008 Craft Ventures 2017 Callin Glue SaaSGrid
E 14 founded
Zip2 1996 X.com 1999 SpaceX 2002 Tesla 2003 Hyperloop One 2014 OpenAI 2015 Neuralink 2016 The Boring Company 2016 Thud 2017 xAI 2023 X Corp. 2023 SpaceXAI 2023 X Holdings Corp 2023 America PAC
J 1 founded
YouTube 2005
J 1 founded
Yelp 2004
J 14 founded
Palantir 2003 Palantir Technologies 2003 Addepar 2009 Formation 8 2011 OpenGov 2012 8VC 2015 Cicero Institute 2016 Terminal 2017 Erebor 2025 Epirus Esper Hearth Anduin Opto
K 2 founded
Opendoor 2014 OpenStore
K 2 founded
Confinity 1998 Founders Fund 2005
K 2 founded
Zip2 1996 The Kitchen Restaurant Group 2004
L 2 founded
Confinity 1998 Founders Fund 2005
M 1 founded
Melio 2018
M 5 founded
Confinity 1998 Slide 2005 HVF Labs 2011 Affirm 2012 Glow 2013
N 3 founded
Palantir 2003 Palantir Technologies 2003 Affirm 2012
O 1 founded
Flutterwave 2016
P 12 founded
The Stanford Review 1987 Confinity 1998 Clarium Capital 2002 Palantir 2003 Palantir Technologies 2003 Founders Fund 2005 Dialog 2006 Valar Ventures 2010 Thiel Fellowship 2010 Mithril Capital 2012 Breakout Labs 2012 Helius 2022
P 1 founded
6sense
R 4 founded
SocialNet 1997 LinkedIn 2002 Inflection AI 2022 Manas AI
R 1 founded
Yelp 2004
S 1 founded
IronPort 2000

See all 27 founders in the PayPal mafia →

Acquisitions

4
B
Braintree
Fintech · USA
AcquiredFounded 2007
X
X.com
Fintech · USA
AcquiredFounded 1999
X
Xoom Corporation
Fintech · USA
AcquiredFounded 2001
I
iZettle
Fintech · Sweden
AcquiredFounded 2010

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