Chime Financial is a publicly traded US company with no parent owner. Its co-founders, Chris Britt and Ryan King, held 65.4% of shareholder votes through 20-vote Class B stock as of March 31, 2026. DST Global is the largest outside holder, and Chime’s market cap was about $10.8 billion on November 3, 2026.
Chime ownership at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ownership type | Public company with dual-class shares (Nasdaq: CHYM) |
| Parent company | None, independent |
| Largest shareholders | Chris Britt (34.3% of votes), Ryan King (31.1% of votes), DST Global (14.9% of Class A), as of March 31, 2026 |
| Latest market cap | About $10.8 billion (November 3, 2026) |
| Last funding round or acquisition | $864 million IPO (June 2025); $590 million Stride Bank deal announced September 8, 2026, not yet closed |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California |
| CEO | Chris Britt, co-founder and chairman |
Who owns Chime today?
Public shareholders own Chime, and the stock is split into two classes. The 2026 proxy statement counted 350,634,768 Class A shares and 32,132,289 Class B shares as of March 31, 2026.
Class A shares carry one vote each and trade on Nasdaq. Class B shares carry 20 votes each, and Britt and King hold all of them.
Britt beneficially owns 52.5% of Class B and 1.1% of Class A. King owns 47.5% of Class B and 1.0% of Class A. Class B is about 8% of all shares outstanding.
Venture funds hold the largest blocks of Class A stock. Directors and executive officers as a group held 4.1% of Class A on the same date. Mutual funds, index funds, employees and retail investors hold the rest.
Chime’s pending Stride Bank acquisition
On September 8, 2026, Chime agreed to buy Stride Bank, N.A., its bank partner for more than seven years, for $590 million in cash. Stride will become Chime Bank, N.A., a wholly owned subsidiary.
The deal needs approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve. Chime expects it to close in the first half of 2027 and plans to pay from cash on its balance sheet.
Who controls Chime?
Britt and King control Chime through voting power, not through a large economic stake. As of March 31, 2026, Britt held 34.3% of total voting power and King held 31.1%.
How Chime’s dual-class share structure works
Both classes vote together on most matters. About 32 million Class B shares at 20 votes each cast more votes than the 351 million Class A shares combined.
Neither founder holds a majority alone. Chime’s filings describe a Founder Voting Proxy that moves one founder’s Class B votes to the other after a triggering event such as death or disability.
Founders give up economic stake over successive funding rounds, a process explained in this guide to how founder equity and cap tables work. Chime’s founders kept voting control through the separate share class.
Chime’s board has seven directors, and five are independent under Nasdaq rules. Britt chairs the board. James Feuille of Crosslink Capital is lead independent director, and Menlo Ventures partner Shawn Carolan also sits on the board. Directors serve staggered three-year terms.
Who are Chime’s largest shareholders?
The 2026 proxy names five outside investors with more than 5% of Class A stock. Their figures are as of March 31, 2026.
| Holder | Share of Class A | Share of total voting power |
|---|---|---|
| DST Global entities | 14.9% | 5.3% |
| Crosslink Capital entities | 8.3% | 2.9% |
| AI Bells entities | 5.6% | 2.0% |
| General Atlantic (CH), L.P. | 5.5% | 1.9% |
| Menlo Ventures entities | 5.0% | 1.8% |
These funds own more shares than the founders but carry far fewer votes.
Chime has also cut its share count through buybacks. In May 2026, it announced an additional $200 million share repurchase authorization.
Who are the biggest investors in Chime?
Most of Chime’s large outside holders bought in before the IPO. Their preferred stock converted to Class A common stock when the company listed.
- DST Global led the $200 million Series D in March 2019, which valued Chime at $1.5 billion. It is now the largest outside holder.
- Crosslink Capital is an early backer. Its venture partner James Feuille has been on the board since October 2014.
- General Atlantic invested in the Series D, Series F and Series G rounds.
- Menlo Ventures has had a board seat through partner Shawn Carolan since May 2018.
- Sequoia Capital Global Equities led the $750 million Series G in August 2021.
Chime valuation history before and after the IPO
Chime raised $500 million in a December 2019 Series E at a $5.8 billion valuation. A $485 million Series F followed in September 2020 at $14.5 billion, and the Series G valued Chime at $25 billion.
The IPO priced Chime at about $11.6 billion on a fully diluted basis. Morningstar put that at 54% below the 2021 private mark.
Private fintech valuations follow a separate track. Corporate card company Ramp reached a $60 billion private valuation in October 2026.
Is Chime publicly traded?
Yes. Chime’s Class A shares trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker CHYM. Class B shares are not listed.
Chime priced its IPO on June 11, 2025, at $27 a share, above its $24 to $26 range. It sold 32 million shares to raise $864 million, and the stock closed its first day at $37.11.
On November 3, 2026, the shares traded near $28.45, for a market cap of about $10.8 billion. Younger companies in the sector are still raising private money, and fintech startups collected $28.6 billion in the first half of 2026, according to Crunchbase.
For ownership breakdowns of other well-known companies, Maia Lafortezza publishes “who owns” explainers.
FAQ
Who founded Chime?
Chris Britt and Ryan King founded Chime in San Francisco in 2012. Britt is CEO and chairman. King, a former chief technology officer, sits on the board as co-founder and director.
Who is Chime’s largest shareholder?
By votes, CEO Chris Britt is the largest, with 34.3% of total voting power as of March 31, 2026. By Class A share count, DST Global entities lead with 14.9%.
Do Chime’s founders control the company?
Yes. Britt and King hold all Class B shares, which carry 20 votes each. Together they held 65.4% of total voting power as of March 31, 2026.
Is Chime owned by a bank?
No. Chime is an independent public company. The Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank hold member deposits as partners. Chime agreed to buy Stride in September 2026, with closing expected in the first half of 2027.
What is Chime’s stock ticker?
Chime’s Class A shares trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker CHYM. Trading began on June 12, 2025, after the IPO priced at $27 a share.
