Klarna's nearing a critical U.S. IPO — and it's the biggest test of CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski's 20-year reign

Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of Klarna, speaking at a fintech event in London on Monday, April 4, 2022. Chris Ratcliffe | Bloomberg via Getty Images LONDON — After 20 years in the role as Klarna's CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski is about to face his toughest test yet as the financial technology firm prepares for its blockbuster debut in New York. Siemiatkowski, 43, co-founded Klarna in 2005 with fellow Swedish entrepreneurs Niklas Adalberth and Victor Jacobsson with the aim of taking on traditional banks and credit card firms with a more user-friendly online payments experience. Today, Klarna is synonymous with "buy now, pay later" — a method of payment that allows people to buy things and either defer payment until the end of the month or pay off their purchases over a series of equal, interest-free monthly installments. But while Siemiatkowski has grown Klarna into a fintech powerhouse, his entrepreneurial journey hasn't been without its challenges — from facing rising competition from ... Read full article.