“Hang on tight to those who make you a better you!”
— Max Levchin, Affirm founder and CEO, Paypal founder
Max Levchin delivered a heartfelt commencement address at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2018, marking the 150th anniversary of the university’s first class. As an alumnus, Levchin shared his journey from a Soviet Union immigrant to a successful entrepreneur, emphasizing the importance of taking risks and embracing failure. He recounted his early experiences with failed startups, highlighting how these setbacks shaped his path to co-founding PayPal. Levchin stressed that while failure is painful, it is crucial to remain human and compassionate, especially when others are affected by your decisions. He shared a poignant lesson learned from a challenging period in his career: “Failing people who trust in you, hurts a lot more than just failing yourself.” This insight underscored the emotional weight of leadership and the responsibility towards those who believe in you. Levchin encouraged graduates to surround themselves with people who inspire them to be better and to take risks to discover their true selves. His speech was a call to action for the class of 2018 to embrace uncertainty and pursue their passions with resilience and integrity.
