Revolut's new Paris headquarters reflects the company's ambitious yet unfinished state. CEO Nik Storonsky, 42, met the Financial Times in a sharp black suit after a meeting with the Banque de France, which recently granted Revolut a French banking licence. This follows UK authorisation in March after a five-year wait and approval from the US OCC. With 80mn customers across 40 countries, Revolut is now valued at $115bn, making Storonsky worth $33bn.

Storonsky argues Europe can build global giants despite fragmented markets and tougher regulation, citing cheaper, high-quality talent from 110 different countries among its 15,000 staff. However, geopolitical tensions — Russia-Ukraine, Middle East, US-China — hinder his vision of a consumer bank in 100+ countries, complicating customer vetting and sanctions compliance.

Born in Soviet Russia to a physicist father at Gazprom, Storonsky renounced Russian citizenship in 2022 (British since 2013). He credits socialist restrictions for fueling entrepreneurial drive. After physics and economics degrees in Moscow, he became an equity derivatives trader in London in 2007.