The 21st Show

Best of: PayPal’s history at U of I with Jimmy Soni

 
Jimmy Soni is the author of

Jimmy Soni is the author of "The Founders," which dives into the history of PayPal and what its creators went on to achieve. Photos via author's website

There are companies that most of us interact with on a regular basis — YouTube, LinkedIn, Yelp. Many of those companies in our lives — and all the ones I just named — can trace their origins to someone who was previously involved in PayPal.

The attention in Silicon Valley goes to the companies building electric cars or launching rockets to Mars or connecting societies around the world. Less exciting, it might seem, is the world of online payments, but the subject comes alive in Jimmy Soni’s new book, called The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley. He joined The 21st to talk about the company's history and it's connection to the University of Illinois.

This segment originally aired April 5, 2022.

GUEST: Jimmy Soni

Author, The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley

 

 

Prepared for web by Owen Henderson

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