How Marcos Galperin built Mercado Libre
Galperin's story: how he built Latin America's biggest company against all odds.
Max Levoshin
1 min read
How a Stanford kid who didn't recognize Warren Buffett built Latin America's most valuable company
Marcos Galperin is stepping down as CEO of Mercado Libre after 25 years. Yes, that Mercado Libre — the one that:
— Creates a new job in Latin America every 3 minutes
— Serves 150+ million customers
— Grows faster than Amazon on steroids
— Just hit an all-time high in its stock, even as the NASDAQ was sliding
Starting in 2026, the new CEO will be Ariel Szarfsztejn — a former banker, strategist, Stanford MBA, and MELI's current chief commercial officer.
Galperin stays on the board and takes on the mission that matters most now: culture, strategy, and artificial intelligence.
Why Mercado Libre managed to grow into a giant
— Because 19 out of 20 of Galperin's classmates didn't believe in his idea.
— Because he pitched an investor on Mercado Libre at the bottom of an airplane's boarding stairs.
— Because he solved problems instead of polishing slide decks.
What's next: Galperin's philosophy and principles
He believes in bitcoin. Reads Márquez. Tells his kids to learn how to learn.
And he's busy building the future while everyone else is busy discussing the crisis.