Max Levchin is a Ukrainian-born entrepreneur and engineer who co-founded PayPal in 1998, where he served as CTO and led the company through its critical early scaling. He founded Affirm in 2012, revolutionizing consumer lending through technology. His reading interests span computer science fundamentals and business strategy.
33 Books Recommended by Max Levchin
Ranked by popularity across all reading lists on this site
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
26 people recommendedrecommended 4xOne of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
Also recommended by: Ankur Warikoo, Balaji Srinivasan, Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Dell, Larry Page, Peter Thiel, Drew Houston, Dustin Moskovitz, Marc Andreessen, Balaji S. Srinivasan, Andrew Ng, Andrew Wilkinson, Blake Scholl, Chris Dixon, Fred Wilson, Jodie Cook, Kathryn Minshew, Keith Rabois, Luis Von Ahn, Marty Cagan, Matt Mullenweg, Peter Attia, Raoul Pal, Tim Ferriss, Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Zero to One
24 people recommendedOne of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
Also recommended by: Elon Musk, Eric Jorgenson, Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz, Kishore Biyani, Marc Andreessen, Rupert Murdoch, Sam Altman, Andrew Ng, Ben Horowitz, Bryan Johnson, Brian Dean, Chris Dixon, Eric Weinstein, Keith Rabois, Lee Stranahan, Luis Von Ahn, Matt Mullenweg, Nassim Taleb, Patrick Oshaughnessy, Ryan Petersen, Tom Bilyeu, Derek Sivers
Influence
18 people recommendedrecommended 4xOne of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
Also recommended by: Naval Ravikant, Tobi Lutke, Adam Robinson, Alexis Ohanian, Charlie Munger, Alex Hormozi, Andrew Wilkinson, Guy Kawasaki, James Clear, Mark Manson, Michael Hyatt, Neil Strauss, Noah Kagan, Patrick Oshaughnessy, Ramit Sethi, Samy Kamkar, Scott Adams
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
Also recommended by: Mark Cuban, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, Drew Houston, Ev Williams, Marc Andreessen, Marc Benioff, Michael Bloomberg, Aaron Levie, Ben Horowitz, Bill Gurley, Caterina Fake, Blake Scholl, Chris Dixon, Guy Kawasaki, Steve Blank, Tim Oreilly
Good to Great
12 people recommendedrecommended 2xOne of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
Also recommended by: Sam Ovens, Jeff Bezos, Brian Armstrong, Daniel Ek, Ev Williams, John Doerr, Dave Ramsey, Frank Blake, Jason Calacanis, Michael Hyatt, Tracy Dinunzio
Endurance
12 people recommendedrecommended 3xMax Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Max Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Max Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Also recommended by: Sam Altman, Ray Dalio, Bryan Johnson, Andrew Klavan, Barry Ritholtz, Dominic Dagostino, Fred Wilson, Jason Fried, Jordan Peterson, Ryan Holiday, Scott Belsky
Thinking in Bets
10 people recommendedrecommended 4xI read this book all the way through because I found the premise so intriguing. [The author] is a well-known poker player and won a World Series of Poker gold bracelet.
I read this book all the way through because I found the premise so intriguing. [The author] is a well-known poker player and won a World Series of Poker gold bracelet.
I read this book all the way through because I found the premise so intriguing. [The author] is a well-known poker player and won a World Series of Poker gold bracelet.
I read this book all the way through because I found the premise so intriguing. [The author] is a well-known poker player and won a World Series of Poker gold bracelet.
Also recommended by: Howard Marks, Marc Andreessen, Danny Miranda, Jason Fried, Mark Manson, Michael Mauboussin, Mike Maples Jr, Seth Godin, Derek Sivers
The Power of Habit
10 people recommendedrecommended 2xCompiles a bunch of great academic neuroscience and applied psychology research on habit formation.
Compiles a bunch of great academic neuroscience and applied psychology research on habit formation.
Also recommended by: Naval Ravikant, Ray Dalio, Danny Miranda, Patrick Bet David, Kelly Starrett, Mr Money Mustache, Scott Adams, Tim Ferriss, Derek Sivers
High Growth Handbook
10 people recommendedrecommended 2x[The author] has no-nonsense, highly applicable advice to any operator transitioning a company from the proverbial garage to the next stage and beyond.
[The author] has no-nonsense, highly applicable advice to any operator transitioning a company from the proverbial garage to the next stage and beyond.
Also recommended by: Ankur Warikoo, Brian Armstrong, Reid Hoffman, Aaron Levie, Alexis Ohanian, Chris Dixon, Kathryn Minshew, Keith Rabois, Ryan Petersen
Highlights the need to continue to have such discussions about sensitive topics instead of ignoring them for the sake of comfort.
Also recommended by: Vinod Khosla, Bryan Johnson, Derren Brown, Glenn Beck, Michael Mauboussin, Richard Dawkins, Tom Bilyeu
Max Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Also recommended by: Chris Sacca, Ev Williams, Christopher Paolini, Matt Ridley, Noah Kagan, Tom Hanks
The Master and Margarita
6 people recommendedOne of the finest works of fiction of the last century.
Also recommended by: Peter Thiel, Jack Dorsey, Jack Edwards, Jordan Peterson, Pewdiepie
Hillbilly Elegy
6 people recommendedrecommended 3xMax Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Max Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Max Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Also recommended by: Bill Gates, Stewart Butterfield, Ben Shapiro, Bill Nye, Jason Calacanis
Predictably Irrational
5 people recommendedrecommended 3xOne of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
Also recommended by: Keith Rabois, Ryan Shea, Tom Bilyeu, Derek Sivers
When Genius Failed
4 people recommendedrecommended 2xOne of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
Also recommended by: Barry Silbert, David Friedberg, Shane Parrish
Too Big to Fail
4 people recommendedOne of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
Also recommended by: Bill Gates, John Collison, Jon Stewart
Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
3 people recommendedrecommended 2xEasier to read [than "The Art of Computer Programming"] end-to-end quickly.
Easier to read [than "The Art of Computer Programming"] end-to-end quickly.
Also recommended by: Patrick Collison, Paul Graham
Lake Success
3 people recommendedrecommended 3xFollows a hedge fund manager who tries to distance himself from an insider trading investigation.
Follows a hedge fund manager who tries to distance himself from an insider trading investigation.
Follows a hedge fund manager who tries to distance himself from an insider trading investigation.
Also recommended by: Adam Sessler, Mike Novogratz
Crucial Conversations
3 people recommendedrecommended 2xA now-venerable guide to having tough conversations in a way that engages the debaters.
A now-venerable guide to having tough conversations in a way that engages the debaters.
Also recommended by: Stewart Butterfield, Patrick Bet David
The Ascent of Money
2 people recommendedrecommended 3xOne of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
One of Max Levchin's answers to "what's your favourite business book you'd advise to young entrepreneurs?
Also recommended by: Fareed Zakaria
Black Edge
2 people recommendedDocuments the SEC’s investigation into hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors and several individuals including Steven Cohen.
Also recommended by: Peter Attia
Consider Phlebas
2 people recommendedMax Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Also recommended by: Pewdiepie
Max Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Max Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Max Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Also recommended by: Bill Gates
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
2 people recommendedrecommended 3xMax Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Max Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Max Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Also recommended by: Ryan Shea
The House of Morgan
2 people recommendedrecommended 3xTrying new routine: starting day by reading few pages from a history book. Currently, [this book].
Trying new routine: starting day by reading few pages from a history book. Currently, [this book].
Trying new routine: starting day by reading few pages from a history book. Currently, [this book].
Also recommended by: Trung Phan
Artemis
recommended 4xA very fun read that I would classify as part of the guilty pleasure section of my personal library.
A very fun read that I would classify as part of the guilty pleasure section of my personal library.
A very fun read that I would classify as part of the guilty pleasure section of my personal library.
A very fun read that I would classify as part of the guilty pleasure section of my personal library.
The Complete Stories, Vol 1
The Last Question is a famous sci-fi short story, and quite possibly one of the best sci-fi stories ever written. [The author]’s degree of forward-thinking is something to behold.
The Middleman
recommended 3xExplores a scenario involving domestic terrorism in the U.S. and tackles the complex question of how crises like this benefit the parties involved.
Explores a scenario involving domestic terrorism in the U.S. and tackles the complex question of how crises like this benefit the parties involved.
Explores a scenario involving domestic terrorism in the U.S. and tackles the complex question of how crises like this benefit the parties involved.
Dear Leader
recommended 3xMax Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Max Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.
Max Levchin recommended this book on LinkedIn.