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
August
Nick Molnar to step up at Block, will report to Jack Dorsey
On the three-year anniversary of Afterpay’s blockbuster sale to Block, its founder Jack Dorsey has promoted Nick Molnar to head of sales.
- James Eyers
June
Boost for Afterpay as Block drops plans for Cash App in Australia
Afterpay Plus will make buy now, pay later more ubiquitous, says Nick Molnar, in his first public comments on the growth strategy in Australia post-acquisition.
- 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
February
Nick Molnar backs Block’s bid to reshape US banking
The billionaire Afterpay co-founder Nick Molnar tells AFR Weekend he’s been working with Jack Dorsey on Cash App, and they’re ready to tackle US banks.
- James Eyers
October 2023
Australia’s 100 richest people under 40 revealed
The Young Rich List, now in its 20th year, shows shop owners are thriving in another patchy year for tech founders, and there’s a new young billionaire in town.
- Updated
- Michael Bailey
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
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
The Financial Review’s 10 best long reads of 2021
We’ve compiled the features, interviews and investigations you might have missed throughout the year.
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
Consumers and companies are buying in on paying later
The pandemic has accelerated the popularity of buy now, pay later services with many consumers thinking of them as credit cards without interest.
- Tara Siegel Bernard
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
- Fintech
New generation is powering the fintech disruption
Gen Z is coming out swinging from the shadows of the giant generations before them – their Gen X parents and their Boomer grandparents, writes Nick Molnar.
- Nick Molnar
- 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