Revolut founder Storonsky Raises His Stake to 29%. The Holding Is Worth Nearly $25bn
Nikolay Storonsky’s stake in Revolut — Europe’s most valuable startup — has grown from 25% to around 29% since last year, Storonsky told journalist Elizaveta Osetinskaya in an interview. The increase came through a long-term incentive plan similar to Elon Musk’s compensation package at Tesla, tied to the company’s valuation growth. Over the past year, Revolut’s valuation has jumped from $45bn to $75bn.
What happened
“I now have, what is it, 29%, plus another 10% on top if I hit certain targets,” Storonsky said in an interview with YouTube project This Is Osetinskaya.
The last time Revolut disclosed the stake of its founder and CEO was in April 2024, when the company said Storonsky owned more than 25% of shares directly and indirectly. His share has grown because the startup’s valuation increased, Storonsky explained: “Once I reach a higher valuation, I get additional shares.”
In August last year, Revolut was valued at $45bn during a secondary share sale by employees. In May 2025, a similar transaction valued the company at $75bn — though the figure was officially announced only at the end of November.
That is not the ceiling. To fully unlock his incentive package, Storonsky needs to almost triple Revolut’s valuation again.
Musk-style compensation plan
Storonsky could receive a multibillion-dollar payout if Revolut’s valuation reaches $150bn, the Financial Times reported last summer, citing sources. In his interview with Osetinskaya, Storonsky clarified that he would receive an additional 10% if the company hits a $200bn valuation.
The entrepreneur, who founded Revolut in 2015, struck a major Elon Musk–style deal that would allow him to increase his ownership by several percentage points, the FT wrote. One source said the stake would rise in stages as the company hits specific performance targets.
FT’s sources compared the generosity of the deal to the $56bn compensation package Tesla’s board approved for Musk in 2018 — which later became the subject of a years-long legal battle. Based on Revolut’s rising valuation and the growth of Storonsky’s stake, the value of his holding has increased from $11.2bn to nearly $25bn since last year.
Bloomberg still estimates Storonsky’s net worth at $14.3bn (making him the world’s 207th richest person). Forbes puts his wealth at $13.1bn (226th place).
Storonsky said the incentive plan was introduced because his stake had been diluted “too quickly” in previous years as Revolut raised equity funding. “I realized that this needed to change. Now, on the contrary, my stake is growing,” he said. He considers the approach fairer, arguing that investors provide capital but “then don’t do anything.”
What’s next
To reach a $200bn valuation, Revolut’s net profit would need to rise to $5–6bn, Storonsky estimates.
This year, Revolut expects to earn around $2bn in net profit on revenue of roughly $6bn. For comparison, last year the company’s revenue grew 72% to $4bn, while pre-tax profit jumped 149% to $1.4bn.
The full interview with Nikolay Storonsky — on how to build a multibillion-dollar startup, which countries Revolut plans to expand into, and why his team is made up exclusively of “high achievers” — is available on the This Is Osetinskaya channel (in Russian).
Edited by Irina Malkova
