PayPal Mafia

[5] They remained connected as social and business acquaintances,[5] and a number of them worked together to form new companies and venture firms in subsequent years.

[4] The term[6] gained even wider exposure when a 2007 article in Fortune magazine used the phrase in its headline and featured a photo of former PayPal employees in gangster attire.

According to Lacy, the selection process and technical learning at PayPal played a role, but the main factor behind their future success was the confidence they gained there.

[4] An intensely competitive environment and a shared struggle to keep the company solvent despite many setbacks also contributed to a strong and lasting camaraderie among former employees.

[11] After the 2024 United States presidential election, The Economist wrote that ⁣⁣the PayPal Mafia would "take over America's government" with the reelection of Donald Trump.

Members of the PayPal Mafia on Fortune magazine dressed in mafia-like attire. From left to right, top row to bottom row: Jawed Karim , Jeremy Stoppelman , Andrew McCormack, Premal Shah , Luke Nosek , Ken Howery , David O. Sacks , Peter Thiel , Keith Rabois , Reid Hoffman , Max Levchin , Roelof Botha , Russel Simmons