Taavet Hinrikus

Net worth over time

Biography

• Taavet Hinrikus cofounded cross-border payments startup Transferwise in 2011 and took it public as Wise in July 2021 on the London Stock Exchange.
• Wise offers low cost money transfers across 56 different currencies, allowing users to avoid big banking fees for moving money abroad.
• Hinrikus and cofounder Kristo Käärmann are Estonia's first two billionaires. The pair met while working in London.
• Käärmann and Hinrikus started Wise after having become "sick of losing money" to banks in fees 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