Squawk Pod Leverage in the U.S. & China, Affirm CEO Max Levchin 5/9/25
May 9, 2025
Max Levchin, CEO of Affirm and co-founder of PayPal, discusses the evolving landscape of consumer spending and the impact of buy now, pay later solutions. Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, a CNBC contributor and CEO of MCC Global Enterprises, shares insights from her recent trip to China, highlighting the complexities of U.S.-China trade relations. They explore the resilience of the U.S. economy compared to China's current challenges, and the implications of ongoing trade negotiations, and offer a glimpse into the future of payment models.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Consumer Spending Amid Stress
- Consumers are stressed about the economy but continue to shop and pay bills on time.
- Employment strength is key to sustaining consistent credit repayment and consumer spending.
Affirm Gains Market Share
- Affirm experiences strong growth across all purchase categories from various consumer segments.
- The company is successfully stealing market share from traditional credit card spend.
Crypto's Role in Payments
- Bitcoin serves as a strong store of value while stablecoins excel at fast cross-border payments.
- Affirm plans to expand internationally, with stablecoin technology becoming increasingly relevant to their business.