Kristo Käärmann is an Estonian businessman, the self-made billionaire Co-founder and former CEO of Wise (LSE: WISE) (formerly TransferWise), a global fintech company specializing in low-cost cross-border payments. His career is rooted in computer science and technology.

Käärmann holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Tartu. His entrepreneurial idea was born out of personal frustration: while working at Deloitte in London, he realized he was losing money on bank fees when transferring his British sterling wages to his Estonian euro bank account. His partner, Taavet Hinrikus (Skype's first employee), faced the same problem, leading them to found Wise in 2011.

• Wise (TransferWise) (Co-founder & Former CEO): The core publicly traded asset, a global fintech company specializing in low-cost, transparent cross-border payments (valued at £11 billion at its IPO).
• Fintech Pioneer: His success is built on disrupting the traditional banking system's FX fees by using a peer-to-peer interbank exchange rate model.
• Academic Background: He holds a B.S. in Computer Science and previously worked as a management consultant at Deloitte.
• Controversy: He was fined by the FCA in 2021 for tax default (failing to pay £72,000 in income tax).

Kristo Käärmann's strategic genius was his commitment to radical transparency in a secretive industry (banking). He and Taavet Hinrikus founded Wise in 2011 with the mission of making cross-border transfers fast, easy, and cheap using the mid-market rate. The company achieved hyper-growth, expanding globally and executing its massive IPO on the London Stock Exchange in 2021 (valued at £11 billion).

His structural contribution is immense: pioneering the low-cost, decentralized model for cross-border currency exchange and successfully disrupting the traditional banking system's FX fees. He stepped down as CEO in 2021, remaining a major shareholder and board member. His wealth is secured by the colossal, long-term, stable profitability of the global fintech and cross-border payments sector.

Kristo Käärmann's social impact is structural, stemming from Wise's role in providing affordable and transparent cross-border financial services, which benefits millions of immigrants, students, and businesses globally. His company's success is a major model for Estonian technology entrepreneurship.

His structural contribution is tied to his belief in radical transparency and technology as a force for market efficiency, directly addressing a structural failure of traditional banking.

Kristo Käärmann maintains the professional, pragmatic style of a technology executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects stability and intellectual authority, typical of a leader in the specialized fintech sector.

Residing in London, U.K., his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to fintech innovation, transparency advocacy, and the long-term stewardship of the Wise platform.