Stripe and private equity firm Advent International have lobbed an unsolicited $53 billion bid at PayPal, offering $60.50 per share to take the fintech giant private. The offer represents a 28% premium over PayPal’s closing price on July 14, 2026, and it sent PYPL shares surging nearly 17% the following day, with intraday gains touching 20%.
For context on just how far PayPal has fallen before this lifeline appeared: the company’s market capitalization peaked around $360 billion in 2021. By early 2026, it had cratered to roughly $36 billion.
Inside the deal structure
The proposed acquisition is backed by approximately $50 billion in committed bank financing, making it one of the largest leveraged buyout attempts in fintech history. If accepted, Stripe and Advent would each hold equal stakes in a newly private PayPal.
This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment move. Stripe and Advent reportedly began analyzing the acquisition as early as February 2026, with more formal discussions kicking off around April.
