American rapper A$AP Rocky has become a shareholder of buy now, pay later firm Klarna, and assumed the mantle of CEO for a day.
Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, took over the reins from incumbent CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski on 1 June, with a mission to curate exclusive content in the Klarna shopping app focusing on upcycling and vintage fashion.
Additionally, the rapper has joined Klarna’s GiveOne sustainability initiative, pledging one percent of his investment to projects focusing on climate and biodiversity. Rocky’s choice is the Miti Alliance in Kenya and its founder Michael Waiyaki who is fighting to slow down the effects of climate change due to deforestation.
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO and co-founder of Klarna says the rapper understands what the public wants from many vantage points.
"He challenges the status quo each day. As the consumer experience in retail now demands discovery, curation and sustainability, we at Klarna have a lot to learn from him. Besides, after sixteen years since founding Klarna, I think I deserve a day off.”
Rocky joins rap legend Snoop Dogg, who invested in Klarna back in 2019 to broaden his European tech investment portfolio.