TOP 10
DAVID VÉLEZ
CEO & Co-founder
Nubank
As the CEO and Co-founder of Nubank – South America ’ s largest and most successful challenger , David Vélez has a disruptive reputation . Born in Medellin , Columbia in 1982 , he comes from a large , extended family of entrepreneurs . His father , who co-owned a button factory , had 12 siblings , all of whom ran their own businesses , providing the young Vélez with an environment that thrived on innovation and disruptive ideas .
At 18 , he had moved to the US and started his degree at Stanford , studying Finance . In 2012 , Vélez returned to South America and relocated to São Paulo . Then , aged 30 , he was hired to establish the VC in the emerging market powerhouse of Brazil . The project didn ’ t work out , so he turned his talents to the banking industry .
Nubank was duly launched in 2013 – and has since survived and thrived its way through myriad disasters , including recession , corruption scandals , and the pandemic . Much of the success can also be attributed to fellow founders , Cristina Junqueira and Edward Wible , who shared Velez ’ s passion for change .
Less than a decade after its founding , Nubank has 70 million customers . It is also backed by some of the world ’ s biggest investors , including Founders Fund , Tiger Global , and Sequoia .