Stripe and Advent Propose $53 Billion Joint Acquisition of PayPal
Stripe and Advent International made a joint offer on Jul 15, 2026 to acquire PayPal Holdings Inc. for more than $53 billion, representing a 28% premium to PayPal's closing share price. The proposal is backed by about $50 billion in committed bank financing. Under the terms, Stripe and Advent would jointly own PayPal with equal stakes rather than breaking up the company.
PayPal's market capitalization has fallen from roughly $360 billion in 2021 to about $36 billion this year amid slowing growth and competition from Apple Pay and Google Pay. CEO Enrique Lores has not responded to the offer. He has been pursuing a turnaround plan focused on simplifying operations and using artificial intelligence for growth.
The bid comes during a wave of consolidation in global payments, including Nuvei's $2.75 billion purchase of Payoneer Global.
- A completed deal would create a dominant force in embedded payments infrastructure, reshaping competitive dynamics for BaaS providers and payment platforms
- Regulatory scrutiny is expected across multiple jurisdictions given the combined market share in digital payments and commerce