Stripe consortium reportedly drops pursuit of PayPal after board rejects $53B bid

One of the largest fintech acquisitions ever attempted just fell apart. Stripe and private equity firm Advent International have withdrawn their joint bid to acquire PayPal, ending weeks of negotiations that began with an unsolicited offer north of $53 billion. What the deal looked like The consortium’s offer came in at $60.50 per share, representing roughly a 28% premium over PayPal’s recent trading price. The bid was backed by approximately $50 billion in bank financing, with JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley coordinating the debt package. Both Stripe and Advent were set to hold equal stakes in the combined entity, and the plan reportedly called for keeping PayPal’s existing structure intact rather than breaking it up for parts. Block, the company formerly known as Square, was part of early discussions but exited before the formal offer materialized. PayPal’s stock surged approximately 17% when news of the acquisition attempt first broke in July. Why PayPal said no PayPal’s directors concluded that the $60.50-per-share offer undervalued the company, particularly given its potential trajectory under CEO Enrique Lores, who stepped into the role in March 2026. PayPal has been navigating a...