Why He Turned Down $1.2 Billion from Stripe to Build Airwallex (CEO & Founder Jack Zhang)

My Fintech Newsletter for more interviews and the latest insights:↪︎ https://rexsalisbury.substack.com/In this episode, Jack, founder of Airwallex, shares his journey—from working odd jobs in Australia to leading a company that rejected a $1.2B acquisition offer from Stripe and now generates close to $900M in annual revenue. Jack reveals how Airwallex evolved through three distinct phases—from FX infrastructure to a comprehensive business banking platform—serving 150,000 customers globally. We discuss pivotal moments with investors, rapid scaling, and the challenges of global money movement. Jack also shares candid views on stablecoins, go-to-market strategies—including major brand partnerships like McLaren F1 and Arsenal—and dives into Airwallex's ambitious AI plans that aim to revolutionize finance. Tune in to hear about bold decisions, lessons from near-bankruptcy, and what's next for one of fintech’s fastest-growing companies.Jack Zhang: linkedin.com/in/jack-zhang-0520022200:00 - Why Airwallex turned down Stripe's $1.2B offer00:37 - Jack’s journey: Odd jobs to founder01:08 - Stablecoins and global money movement: Useless or gamechanger?03:22 - Unlocking initial hypergrowth: Key customers and industries05:20 - Pivoting product: What didn’t work and why07:37 - Three phases of Airwallex’s growth08:58 - Building a layered business banking platform10:06 - From student magazines to diverse side businesses13:37 - Lessons from early failures and successes15:34 - Creating borderless financial infrastructure16:56 - Are stablecoins really practical for payments?19:18 - Scaling payments: Liquidity, costs, and geographies21:36 - Airwallex today: Revenue and growth stats22:23 - Market scope and expansion plans24:18 - The million-dollar meeting: Raising capital27:04 - Hardest fundraises and investor stories29:28 - Go-to-market strategy: Brand and partnerships33:25 - Investing in brand: The timing and payoff34:24 - Founder visibility: Why Jack speaks out now37:05 - Impact of storytelling on growth and hiring38:32 - Life outside Airwallex: Hobbies & balance38:44 - Expansion in the US: Offices and hiring plans40:13 - Airwallex Copilot: AI agents for autonomous finance41:42 - AI-powered products: The future of business ops42:22 - Major product launches: Full-stack billing for AI companies43:15 - Crossing $1B ARR: What’s next for Airwallex44:13 - Airwallex Billing: Features, rollout, and free offer___Connect with Rex on social media:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rexsalisbury/Twitter: https://twitter.com/rexsalisburyTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rex.salisburyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rexsalisbury/

There are no comments yet.

Please log in to write the first comment.