This Month
Inside a decade-long rollercoaster ride with Afterpay’s Nick Molnar
Ten years ago this week, the buy now, pay later firm’s founder sold some jewellery to his business partner Anthony Eisen in a novel way: pay-in-four.
- James Eyers and Jonathan Shapiro
October
Anthony Eisen bows out at Afterpay
The co-founder of the buy now, pay later pioneer told staff at Block, which he joined after the takeover, he would step away from an executive role.
- James Eyers
May
- Opinion
- BNPL
Payments innovation under threat from RBA
Buy now, pay later, which revolutionised Australia’s highly concentrated payments system, is under potential threat from increased regulation.
- Tony Boyd
January
Tech Council boss Kate Pounder resigns
Australia’s technology sector loses a powerful voice in Canberra, after the boss of high-profile industry group steps down.
- Tess Bennett
May 2023
Rich Lister Eisen pays record $23m for modest Byron beach shack
The Afterpay co-founder has reset records for the NSW coastal town with a $23 million Wategos house, clocking his second purchase on the exclusive strip.
- Bonnie Campbell
August 2022
The buy now, pay later juggernaut is about to be tested
Economic uncertainty, competition, regulators and the usual consumer debt problems are spoiling the fun for this fast-growing industry.
- Esmé Deprez, Evan Weinberger and Jennifer Surane
July 2022
The 10 wealthiest executives in the ASX 300 revealed
The Australian Financial Review’s Rich Bosses list welcomes a new top dog for 2022, after Andrew Forrest returned to day-to-day control of Fortescue.
- James Thomson
June 2022
How a Wall Street titan issued a storm warning for BNPL
Morgan Stanley boss James Gorman delivered the frightening forecast about the expansionary mindset that drove the export of buy now, pay later from Australia.
- James Eyers and Jonathan Shapiro
May 2022
Victor Smorgon Partners, Ant Eisen surf into eFoil company Fliteboard
Electric foiling surfboard maker Fliteboard has attracted a raft of Australian Rich Listers and business identities, in a series B funding round to ramp up development.
- Anthony Macdonald, Sarah Thompson and Kanika Sood
January 2022
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Goodbye Afterpay, hello Block: Where to for the ASX’s new giant
Block (formerly Square) is making an unusually quiet entry to the ASX. Its big slide since its Afterpay takeover raises questions about its outlook.
- Updated
- James Thomson
December 2021
Afterpay duo say fintech disruption ‘still very early on’
Anthony Eisen and Nick Molnar assert that their commitment is unwavering as they prepare to partner with Jack Dorsey’s payment titan.
- Jonathan Shapiro and James Eyers
- Opinion
- The AFR View
Afterpay duo’s digital innovation the biggest deal
The 2021 Business Person of the Year acknowledges the founders of the buy now, pay later platform that’s given its name to a whole new class of business.
- The AFR View
November 2021
- Updated
- Mergers & acquisitions
Square shareholders vote to approve Afterpay deal
The Jack Dorsey-controlled US payments giant formally green-lighted its purchase of the Australia’s BNPL darling. Afterpay’s scheme will follow on Friday.
- James Eyers and Jonathan Shapiro
September 2021
- Exclusive
- BNPL
Mystery bidder spurred Square to strike Afterpay deal
Details of frenetic and hard-fought negotiations that culminated in Australia’s largest ever M&A deal have been laid out to the US SEC.
- James Eyers and Jonathan Shapiro
Afterpay co-founder backs Gen Z fitness app
Anthony Eisen is among the notable investors in a pre-seed-funding round for social media-powered fitness app Steppen, started by a Monash University student.
- Natasha Gillezeau
August 2021
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Why Afterpay sees post-Square growth in ‘multiples, not percentages’
Afterpay’s last set of results contain important clues about the direction the group is heading in as it prepares to be swallowed up by Square.
- Updated
- James Thomson
- Opinion
- Mergers & acquisitions
Australia’s largest-ever sale? Afterpay wasn’t really bought
The Afterpay deal with Square makes plenty of sense, but we have a situation where no one – not even the founders – pockets any cash.
- Adir Shiffman
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Don’t let emotion obscure Afterpay lesson
Not many stocks have divided investors the way Afterpay does. But beyond the emotional responses is a lesson about keeping an open mind to new ways of doing business.
- Updated
- James Thomson
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Afterpay’s future in the hands of a part-time CEO
Afterpay investors have always been true believers. Now they need to buy into Square’s big vision and Jack Dorsey, its founder, visionary and part-time CEO.
- Updated
- James Thomson
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Afterpay’s Square deal is a perfectly-timed triumph
Afterpay’s Anthony Eisen and Nick Molnar have taken the group from zero to $39 billion in just six years. The Square takeover is the perfect exclamation point.
- Updated
- James Thomson