New York - Stockholm, June 1, 2021 – Klarna, the leading global payments provider, bank and shopping service, today announced that Rakim Mayers, better known as A$AP Rocky, has become a shareholder and will assume the role of company CEO for a day.
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO and co-founder of Klarna commented: “A$AP Rocky defies categorization; a musician, actor, philanthropist, an opinion leader in style, and fundamentally someone who understands what the public wants from so many vantage points. He challenges the status quo each day. As the consumer experience in retail now demands discovery, curation and sustainability, we at Klarna have a lot to learn from him. Besides, after sixteen years since founding Klarna, I think I deserve a day off.”
The celebrated artist, actor, and philanthropist is a natural fit to take the reins as he shares Klarna’s passion for innovation and consumer empowerment. A$AP Rocky’s status as a disruptor who constantly evolves while celebrating his eclectic taste makes him the perfect partner to help advance Klarna as the ultimate experience for the modern shopper.
“Klarna is a company that looks ahead and challenges the status quo, which makes partnering with them so appealing to me,” said A$AP Rocky. “I’m excited to begin working with Klarna in a number of ways, including jointly creating a space for people to rediscover style as we emerge from a global fashion hibernation.”
Once installed as Klarna’s short-term CEO on June 1st, Rocky will renounce the global fashion hibernation that has dominated the past year and invite everyone to rediscover the joy of getting dressed. To aid in these efforts, Rocky will curate exclusive content in the Klarna shopping app focusing on upcycling and vintage fashion.
Additionally, Rocky will join Klarna’s recently launched GiveOne sustainability initiative by pledging 1% of his investment to impactful planet health projects focusing on climate and biodiversity. Rocky’s choice is the Miti Alliance in Kenya and its founder Michael Waiyaki who is fighting to slow down the effects of climate change due to deforestation. The impact from his contribution will be tracked on his behalf in the coming months and years.
Klarna and A$AP Rocky will shortly announce the next step of their partnership.
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