10 Things You Didn’t Know about PayPal CEO Daniel Schulman
Daniel Schulman is the current CEO and President of PayPal. However, it is interesting to note that he has held important positions at other corporations as well because of his wide-ranging business experience. For proof, look no further than the fact that he is the current Chairman of the Symantec Corporation. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Daniel Schulman:
1. Grew Up in Princeton, NJ
Schulman was raised in Princeton, NJ. Given its name, it should come as no surprise to learn that the borough is the home of Princeton University. However, Princeton has other claims to fame as well, with examples ranging from it being the home of the state governor’s official residence to it being one of the best places to live in the state and beyond.
2. Didn’t Go to Princeton
With that said, Schulman didn’t go to Princeton University. Instead, he picked up a bachelor’s degree in economics at Middlebury College. After which, he eventually picked up a MBA from the Stern School of Business at the University of New York.
3. Practices Krav Maga
Schulman has been practicing Krav Maga since he was a teenager. For those who are unfamiliar with the name, it is an Israeli martial art that drew inspiration from boxing, wrestling, street fighting, and other sources. It has a reputation for efficiency, which is perhaps unsurprising when it was created for use in real world situations.
4. Believes in Never Standing Still
One of the things that Schulman has learned from Krav Maga and continues to use in his position as CEO is the principle of never standing still. In a fight, standing still is just asking to get hit. In business, standing still is a good way to embrace stagnancy, which can be particularly dangerous in fast-moving fields such as finance and tech.
5. Has Widespread Business Experience
Being the CEO of PayPal is far from being Schulman’s first executive position. For example, he was the youngest person on AT&T’s senior executive team, having reached said position by climbing up the ranks after starting out in an account management position. Likewise, he was the founding CEO of Virgin Mobile USA from 2002 to 2009, which resulted in it becoming one of the top wireless carriers in the country.
6. Wants to Give Financial Tools to the Underserved
One of Schulman’s stated goals as the CEO of PayPal is giving better access to financial tools to people who are either unserved or underserved by the traditional financial system. This is pretty important, seeing as how there are estimates that tens of millions of Americans are underserved by said system. Never mind their counterparts in other countries.
7. Spent 24 Hours to Get a Better Perspective of What It Was Like to Be Homeless
On one occasion, Schulman spent 24 hours on the streets of New York City while unshaven, wrapped in a blanket, and with neither his money nor his wallet nor his cellphone, which was meant to provide him with a better perspective on what it was like to be a homeless man. Suffice to say that it was a pretty illuminating experience, as shown by his statement that he managed to raise less than a dollar after five hours of begging. Something that was particularly felt because he considered himself to be a good salesman as well as a good communicator in general.
8. Partnered with StandUp For Kids
The experience was connected to Schulman’s partnership with StandUp For Kids when he was the CEO of Virgin Mobile USA. Said organization is focused on combating youth homelessness by distributing survival kits as well as offering other kinds of help to youth who are either on the streets or at risk of ending up on the streets.
9. Denounced North Carolina’s House Bill 2
Schulman was one of the numerous CEOs who spoke out against the state of North Carolina’s House Bill 2, which would have forced people to use public bathrooms based on their gender at birth. Besides denouncing it as discrimination, Schulman was also one of the CEOs who brought economic pressure to bear, which in his case, consisted of cancelling plans to hire 400 people in the state.
10. Serves on the Board for Autism Speaks
Speaking of which, Schulman is involved with other causes as well. For instance, he is a member of the board for Autism Speaks, which focuses on promoting research into both the causes and the potential treatments for people on the autism spectrum.
