Business

The Invisible Billionaire: How Daniel Klein Built a Fintech Empire with SumUp

He is one of the most successful founders in the country – yet few know him: Daniel Klein, 47, co-founder and CEO of SumUp, probably Germany's most valuable fintech. While other founders make media appearances on stages and in podcasts, Klein prefers to work in the background – and manages a billion-dollar company from there. Now he wants to take SumUp public. The valuation: up to 15 billion dollars.

Eulerpool News Nov 1, 2025, 12:00 PM

A few days ago, the “phantom” was spotted in London – a rare appearance. Jeans, white shirt, undercut. Goldman Sachs had invited, sending a signal to the financial world with the event: SumUp is on the brink of the next big step. Next to Klein sat Anthony Gutman, co-head of international investment banking at the US major bank – an appearance that could hardly mean more backing.

Klein spoke calmly, with folded hands, about margins, scaling, expansion – and what SumUp, according to insiders, has long been: a "profitable powerhouse." Many in the room saw him for the first time. "Who is Daniel Klein?" later asked an industry expert who has been active in Europe's fintech scene for years. A legitimate question – after all, Klein has created what many dream of: A global payment company that today processes more card payments in Europe than almost any competitor except Adyen.

But while Adyen is on the stock exchange and Klarna is fighting for attention, SumUp remains a mystery. Klein avoids media, interviews, and self-promotion. Those who speak with him describe him as controlled, analytical—and obsessed with efficiency. Internally, he is said to be regarded as an uncompromising strategist who prefers numbers to speak rather than PR texts.

The planned IPO could change that. With Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, and Bain Capital backing it, SumUp is preparing for the move that will catapult the company squarely into the spotlight. Whether Daniel Klein will then remain in the shadows - or step into the glaring light of the financial public for the first time - is still open.

One thing is certain: The phantom is slowly leaving the shadows.

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