How I Built This with Guy Raz PayPal: Max Levchin (Part 1 of 2)
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Jun 13, 2022 
Max Levchin, co-founder of PayPal and Affirm, shares his fascinating journey from Soviet Ukraine to Silicon Valley. He discusses transforming a simple idea into PayPal, the fierce competition in the tech landscape, and the emotional upheaval of witnessing Elon Musk's ousting as CEO. Levchin reveals the startup challenges they faced, such as fundraising and user adoption, while navigating the dynamic culture of the 'PayPal Mafia.' The conversation delves into the origins of his entrepreneurial spirit and the pivotal moments that shaped the future of online payments.
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Grandparents' Escape
- Max Levchin's grandparents were physicists involved in defense work.
- This allowed them to escape to Siberia as Germans approached Kyiv, saving them from likely persecution.
Secret Language and Protest
- The Levchin family used Yiddish as a secret language.
- Max and his classmates successfully protested anti-Semitism from a teacher, surprising everyone.
Early Programming
- Max Levchin's programming journey began when his mom, a physicist, was ordered to learn programming.
- He quickly surpassed her and became hooked on software engineering.