Rank #1827
Kristo Käärmann
Net worth $2.3B
Payments, banking · Estonia
- Born
- Sep 01, 1980
- Age
- 45
- Source
- Payments, banking
- Residence
- London
- Citizenship
- Estonia
- Marital status
- Married
- Children
- 0
- Education
- Masters in Computer Engineering, University of Tartu
Net worth over time
Biography
- Kristo Käärmann cofounded cross-border payments startup Transferwise in 2011 and took it public as Wise in 2021 on the London Stock Exchange.
- Wise offers low-cost money transfers across 50 different currencies, allowing users to avoid big banking fees for moving money abroad.
- Käärmann and cofounder Taavet Hinrikus became Estonia's first two billionaires. The pair met while working in London.
- Käärmann and Hinrikus started Wise after becoming tired of losing money to their banks in fees charged for sending money to Estonia.
- Billionaires Peter Thiel and Richard Branson were early investors, followed by VC firm Andreessen Horowitz and money manager Baillie Gifford.
Financial assets
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