at it , he understood the power of the internet , and its potential for customers . But , he had encountered issues during his first startup years . In fact , one drawback was the issue of payments processing on a global scale , for both shops and shoppers .
He solved the issue by launching his third startup , Checkout . com , in 2012 . The ease of use and frictionless experience the fintech offered its customers made it an instant hit with online retailers . By 2019 , Checkout . com was one of the world ' s most successful fintech stories .
Pousaz and his leadership team even raised US $ 230mn in funding that year – which ended up being the largest Series A funding round ever for a European fintech company .
Pandemic accelerated growth for Checkout . com Of course , the rest is history . COVID-19 did its worst , resulting in the world being plunged into lockdowns , online payments companies reaped the rewards , and Checkout . com was no exception . In fact , by January 2021 , the company had launched its next funding round , raising a further US $ 450mn at a valuation of US $ 15bn . Forbes then estimated Pousaz ' s net worth to be US $ 9bn . During 2020 , Checkout . com released a report saying its payments processing volume had tripled in that year alone .
What ’ s next for Pousaz ? Well , so far , he seems keen to stick with Checkout . com . Now married and a father of three , he spends his time commuting between Dubai and London , telling Forbes that he travels on the red-eye from Dubai to London every Sunday night , so that he can work his four-day , 80-hour week in the London office , before heading back to his family in the UAE on a Friday morning .
By anyone ’ s measure , it ’ s a brutal work pattern , but one that Pousaz seems to thrive on . And , with Saturdays dedicated to his kids , he tries not to allow himself to be distracted . “ I get 800 emails a day at this point ,” he said .
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