Stripe and private equity firm Advent International have reportedly submitted a joint $53 billion offer to acquire PayPal, according to a Reuters report citing sources familiar with the matter.
The proposal, reportedly made earlier this month, values PayPal shares at $60.50 each. Reuters also reported that an initial approach was made in early April, although PayPal has yet to respond to the latest offer.
If completed, the transaction would see Stripe and Advent International each hold a 50% ownership stake in the payments company, creating one of the largest deals in the history of the fintech sector.
The reported bid comes during a period of strategic change at PayPal. In March, the company appointed Enrique Lores as its new CEO before unveiling a major organisational overhaul aimed at streamlining operations and accelerating long-term growth.
As part of the restructuring, PayPal reorganised its operations into three core business divisions: Checkout Solutions and PayPal, Consumer Financial Services and Venmo, and Payment Services and Crypto. The company said the new structure is intended to improve execution while sharpening its focus across its payments and financial services businesses.
A potential acquisition would significantly reshape the global payments landscape. Stripe has grown into one of the world’s largest private fintech companies by providing payment infrastructure for online businesses, while PayPal remains one of the most widely used digital payment platforms with hundreds of millions of active consumer and merchant accounts worldwide.
Although discussions remain preliminary and no agreement has been announced, the reported proposal highlights continued investor confidence in digital payments as competition intensifies across commerce, embedded finance, and financial infrastructure.
