Klarna CEO's $1 Billion Stock Pledge Pays Off Amid IPO Wealth Rise
ByAinvest
Friday, Sep 12, 2025 3:51 am ET1min read
KLAR--
Siemiatkowski used the loan to buy out another investor in a special purpose vehicle that owns shares of Klarna, further increasing his economic interest in the company. This move allowed him to consolidate his control over Klarna, despite not selling any shares in the IPO.
Since the IPO, Siemiatkowski's Klarna stake has risen over $65 million in value, making his stake worth over $1 billion. This significant increase in value has buffered the equity he pledged as collateral for the loan. Despite a 6.7% drop in shares on Thursday, which reversed part of an almost 15% surge the previous day, Siemiatkowski's stake remains substantial [1].
Siemiatkowski's decision to pledge shares for a loan, rather than selling them, is a strategic move that allows him to maintain control over Klarna while diversifying his wealth and boosting liquidity. This approach is common among executives who aim to retain control over their companies while leveraging their assets to secure financing [2].
After the IPO, Sequoia Capital is expected to hold about 22% of the voting power, while Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen's Heartland A/S will have around 8.9%, and Siemiatkowski will have 7.4% [1]. Despite the change in ownership structure, Siemiatkowski remains confident in Klarna's future and plans to stay invested long-term.
Klarna, a leading provider of buy-now, pay-later financing, has been making a push into offering other banking products like savings, checking accounts, and credit cards. The company's IPO has been met with surging investor demand, raising $1.37 billion [1].
Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski pledged shares to secure a $112 million loan ahead of the company's IPO. He used the loan to buy out another investor in a special purpose vehicle that owns Klarna shares, increasing his economic interest in the company. Siemiatkowski's stake has risen over $65 million in value since the IPO, making his stake worth over $1 billion. He holds a controlling stake in the company and plans to stay invested long-term.
Klarna Group Plc's Chief Executive Officer, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, secured a $112 million loan ahead of the company's IPO by pledging shares as collateral. The loan, provided by SEB AB, was secured at a low loan-to-value ratio of 10%, with Siemiatkowski pledging a roughly $980 million stake in exchange [1].Siemiatkowski used the loan to buy out another investor in a special purpose vehicle that owns shares of Klarna, further increasing his economic interest in the company. This move allowed him to consolidate his control over Klarna, despite not selling any shares in the IPO.
Since the IPO, Siemiatkowski's Klarna stake has risen over $65 million in value, making his stake worth over $1 billion. This significant increase in value has buffered the equity he pledged as collateral for the loan. Despite a 6.7% drop in shares on Thursday, which reversed part of an almost 15% surge the previous day, Siemiatkowski's stake remains substantial [1].
Siemiatkowski's decision to pledge shares for a loan, rather than selling them, is a strategic move that allows him to maintain control over Klarna while diversifying his wealth and boosting liquidity. This approach is common among executives who aim to retain control over their companies while leveraging their assets to secure financing [2].
After the IPO, Sequoia Capital is expected to hold about 22% of the voting power, while Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen's Heartland A/S will have around 8.9%, and Siemiatkowski will have 7.4% [1]. Despite the change in ownership structure, Siemiatkowski remains confident in Klarna's future and plans to stay invested long-term.
Klarna, a leading provider of buy-now, pay-later financing, has been making a push into offering other banking products like savings, checking accounts, and credit cards. The company's IPO has been met with surging investor demand, raising $1.37 billion [1].
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