Levchin: Seeing peers' human vulnerabilities inspired PayPal alumni to pursue massive ideas
Max Levchin · Why AI Agents Could Finally Reinvent the Credit Card · Sep 3, 2026 · at 51:41
Max Levchin, co-founder of PayPal and CEO of Affirm, explains why PayPal alumni felt empowered to launch ambitious subsequent ventures.
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“So if you know kind of the true base version of who we all are, as you watch one of these people go for something really big, like Elon Taking humanity to Mars, which is extraordinary. And yet, you know, he's a human being. Like, I've seen him sweaty and tired and grumpy at the company kitchen a thousand times. Or Peter, when he is in his Dowden, calls me from some fundraising trip saying, I think we might run out of money. You know, they're not gods. You know, they're humans. And that inspires you to actually, like, you know what, if that guy who's just a normal dude, I spent a lot of time with him, he's normal. And he's going for this big of an idea. I should do the same. I should strive too.”
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