The PayPal Wars

Battles with EBay, the Media, the Mafia, and the Rest of Planet Earth

Eric Jackson

Recommended By

Book Reviews

One of Sahil Lavingia's most recommended books.

Book Synopsis

"The PayPal Wars" by Eric Jackson is a gripping and insightful account of the turbulent beginnings and phenomenal rise of the world's most popular online payment platform, PayPal.

From its inception in the late 1990s, the company faced numerous challenges, from conflicts within the founding team to intense competition in the digital payment industry. Jackson takes readers on an exhilarating journey through the early days of PayPal, revealing the thrilling story of how a small start-up managed to disrupt and revolutionize the financial world.

With vivid storytelling and meticulous research, Jackson highlights the key personalities and pivotal moments that shaped PayPal's trajectory. He delves into the company's triumphs, such as its acquisition by eBay, as well as the struggles it faced, including hacking attempts and regulatory battles.

"The PayPal Wars" not only provides a thrilling narrative of the company's battles and victories, but it also offers valuable insights into the broader trends and challenges of the dot-com era. Jackson examines the impact of PayPal on e-commerce and digital finance, shedding light on the remarkable impact it had on shaping the modern online economy.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of technology, entrepreneurship, and the evolution of online payments. It serves as a rich source of inspiration and lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs, offering valuable insights into the complex dynamics of building and scaling a disruptive company in a rapidly evolving industry.

Explore More Books

See All
Obvious Adams
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
The Wager
Musashi
Destined For War
Who We Are and How We Got Here
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Dirt to Soil
King Lear
The Blue Sweater
God's Debris
A Splendid Exchange
The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty
Nudge
Neuromancer
The Great Mental Models
American Nations
Incognito
Kochland
Ringworld
The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross
Eating Animals
The Jewish Century
Something Like an Autobiography
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
The Art of  Scientific Investigation
The Fourth Turning
Technofeudalism
Physics of the Future
Stories of Your Life and Others
The Big Score
The Man Who Solved The Market
Recapturing The Spirit Of Enterprise
Slouching Towards Bethlehem
Creativity, Inc.
Building the Intentional University
The Hour Between Dog and Wolf
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Math, Better Explained
The Unquiet Grave
Bad For You
Scaling People
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
What is Life?
Road to Wigan Pier
In Over Our Heads
Prosperity
Fewer
The Lizard King
Social Cognition
A Mind At Play
The Essays of Schopenhauer
The Dream of Reason
End of Illness
Stumbling on Happiness
Automate This
The 4 Hour Body
Investment Biker
Creative Selection
The Doors of Perception
Citizen Coke
Thermoinfocomplexity
You
Who
Adult Children of Alcoholics
The Gospel of Wealth
A Father First
James Turrell
Where Good Ideas Come From
Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life
Judgment in Managerial Decision Making
The Hydrogen Sonata
Midnight In Chernobyl
Cryptonomicon
Secrets of Closing the Sale
The Power Broker
Charged
Tools and Weapons
Deep Medicine
Tribe
Think Again
Getting It Done
Rise of the Robots
The Global Macro Edge
Entangled Life
Conscious Business
Taxes Have Consequences
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information
The New Jim Crow
The Ordeal of Civility
The Little Bitcoin Book
Happiness
Biography of the Dollar
Future Forward
The New One
Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish
Man's Search for Meaning
Loonshots
The Underdog Founder
Prisoners of Geography