Klarna, the popular pay-in-four app, has announced that rapper A$AP Rocky has joined the company as an investor and CEO for a day.
In a press release announcement, it was revealed that the New York rapper, real name Rakim Mayers, will also join the company’s GiveOne sustainability initiative. His participation in this program involves pledging 1 percent of his initial Klarna investment to impactful planet health projects focusing on climate and biodiversity.
His chosen project is the Miti Alliance in Kenya and its founder Michael Waiyaki. According to the organization’s official website, the Miti Alliance — which began in 2018 — has a mission to replant indigenous trees in water catchment areas. The organization has had the impact of planting more than 10,000 trees since its inception.
“Klarna is a company that looks ahead and challenges the status quo, which makes partnering with them so appealing to me,” said A$AP Rocky in the press release announcement. “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.”
The CEO and co-founder of Klarna also believes that the partnership with A$AP Rocky is a good one.
“A$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 have a lot to learn from him,” said Sebastian Siemiatkowski in the press release announcement.
Founded in 2005, Klarna’s impact has grown exponentially since its initial inception. Their offerings include payments, social shopping, and personal finances. Over 250,000 retail partners, including H&M, IKEA, Expedia Group, Samsung, ASOS, Peloton, Abercrombie & Fitch, Nike, and AliExpress have enabled Klarna’s innovative shopping experience online and in-store.
With a valuation of $31 billion, the company is also considered one of the most successful fintech companies in the world.
