Early Life and Education
Guillaume Pousaz was born in Switzerland in 1981. From a young age, he displayed an interest in both art and mathematics. He studied mathematical engineering at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), and then enrolled in an economics bachelor's degree at HEC Lausanne. He received a job offer from Citibank London, but he decided to leave HEC Lausanne due to his father's illness and moved to California to pursue surfing.
Rise to Success
Pousaz's career began in the payments industry in 2006 when he joined International Payments Consultants (IPC). Recognizing the need for innovation, he co-founded NetMerchant, a US to Europe money transfer service. In 2009, Pousaz acquired SMS Pay, which became the foundation for building Checkout.com, a next-generation payments gateway. In 2012, Pousaz founded Checkout.com with the mission to simplify online payment processes.
Key Business Strategies
Checkout.com, under Pousaz's leadership, focused on developing its own technology to provide a unified payment platform, giving merchants full visibility. The company initially bootstrapped its operations for years, avoiding external funding, and concentrating on enterprise clients. The company has raised $1.8 billion in funding. In January 2021, Checkout.com raised a further US$450 million at a valuation of US$15 billion. Following Checkout.com's 2022 fundraise of $1 billion, Pousaz's net worth was estimated to be US$20 billion. In 2024, the company achieved a 45% year-on-year net revenue growth in its core business.
Philanthropy
In 2022, Pousaz and his wife founded Pousaz Philanthropies, which focuses on supporting the safety and education of children worldwide.