Paul Gu

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Upstart Holdings

Search every verified Paul Gu interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Paul Gu, co-founder and CEO of Upstart Holdings, has recently discussed the company's expansion into new lending markets and its decision to pursue a de novo national bank charter. In interviews and on the company's Q2 2026 earnings call, Gu stated that Upstart's core personal loan originations grew 27% quarter-over-quarter, a $526 million sequential increase, and described the company as reaching a new profit peak. He also said that non-personal loan businesses, such as auto loans and home equity lines of credit, represent markets sometimes ten or more times larger than personal loans, though he acknowledged these products are not yet contribution profitable. Regarding the bank charter, Gu explained that Upstart chose to build a bank from scratch rather than acquire one to avoid inheriting legacy underwriting practices and to stand behind every decision transparently with regulators. Gu also addressed the competitive moat around Upstart's AI-driven credit models, arguing that replicating the company's approach would require a painful five-year cycle of hiring expensive machine learning talent, rewriting corporate culture, and absorbing losses from initially poor-performing models. He noted that Upstart's models have a decade-long head start in applying AI to consumer credit and that the company is currently valued primarily as a personal loan business, with the potential of its other lending verticals not yet reflected in its valuation. Gu also commented on broader economic conditions, suggesting that AI could drive GDP growth above 5% but expressing skepticism about a near-term turnaround given recent declining growth trends.