Mirror Review
September 12, 2025
Opendoor, a US-based real estate company that uses technology to buy, sell, and resell homes directly to consumers, has named Kaz Nejatian as its new CEO.
The move is part of a plan for the company to enter “founder mode” by bringing back co-founders Keith Rabois and Eric Wu to the board.
Kaz Nejatian steps in with a unique mix of law, policy, fintech, and big-tech experience. He’s not just another executive. He’s a builder who has moved across industries, solved real-world problems, and led at scale.
Here are 10 Kaz Nejatian facts that reveal the depth of his experience and what he brings to Opendoor.
Facts About Kaz Nejatian: New Opendoor CEO
1. He Began His Career as a Lawyer
Before entering the tech world, Nejatian trained as a lawyer, working as an associate at Ropes & Gray LLP.
There, he specialized in compliance, privacy, and data security for clients in the banking and payments industries.
This legal background gives him a sharp eye for risk and regulation. It’s a crucial skill set in the complex housing market.
2. He Helped Build Canada’s Startup Visa
During his time in public service, Nejatian served as the Director of Strategic Planning for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
In that role, he designed and implemented the country’s Startup Visa program, a policy aimed at attracting global entrepreneurs.
He helped implement what CNN called “the most successful set of immigration policies in the world”.
3. He Founded a Payments Startup in His Basement
Nejatian is a founder at heart.
He started the payment technology company Kash from his basement with the goal of building a new, more secure payment system.
He successfully grew the company, which was later acquired by a publicly traded financial services firm.
4. He Led Payment Systems for Meta’s Giants
At Meta (formerly Facebook), Nejatian was the product lead for payment platforms serving some of the world’s largest applications.
He was responsible for building payment products for WhatsApp, Instagram, and Marketplace, giving him deep experience in creating systems that function at a global scale.
5. He Was Central to Shopify’s Financial Services Push
At Shopify, Nejatian rose rapidly from VP of Merchant Services to COO in just three years.
He was instrumental in building out the company’s financial tools, including payments, capital, and banking products.
His mission was clear: “Our job is to take the things that suck for entrepreneurs, and make them not suck”.
6. He Pushed Shopify Toward AI
Opendoor’s new chairman, Keith Rabois, called Nejatian the right leader to make Opendoor an “AI-first company”.
Nejatian is considered an “AI-native executive” who led Shopify’s recent push into generative AI tools.
He has stated his goal is to use AI to make buying and selling a home “radically simpler, faster, and more certain”.
7. His Compensation is Heavily Tied to Performance
Opendoor has structured Nejatian’s compensation to align his incentives directly with shareholder success.
He received $15 million in cash and $15 million in stock to make up for the pay he left behind at Shopify.
More importantly, he could be awarded nearly 81.8 million shares over five years if the company’s stock price hits a target of $33, a stake that would translate to $2.7 billion.
8. He Is Backed by a Fresh $40 Million Investment
Nejatian stepped in as CEO alongside a new cash injection for Opendoor.
The company raised $40 million through a private investment from co-founder Eric Wu and Khosla Ventures.
This insider funding shows strong confidence in Opendoor’s future under his leadership
9. He Brings Cross-Sector Experience
Few executives move from government to startups to big tech.
Nejatian has done all three.
That unusual path helps him balance regulation, product, and scale. It’s a rare combination for a public-company CEO.
10. He Studied at Queen’s University and the University of Ottawa
Kaz Nejatian earned his Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University and his law degree from the University of Ottawa.
This mix of business and law studies explains why he combines strategic vision with legal precision.
His education laid the foundation for a career that bridges finance, technology, and regulation.
Conclusion
These Kaz Nejatian facts show a leader who is more than a typical operator.
He’s a founder, a policymaker, a product builder, and an AI advocate.
At Opendoor, his biggest test will be to turn those skills into better economics for a business that has struggled with losses.
According to Opendoor co-founder Keith Rabois, Nejatian wasn’t just one of many candidates; he was the only one considered.
“Literally there was only one choice for the job: Kaz,” Rabois said in a statement. He praised Nejatian as a “decisive leader” with a “founder’s brain”.
Investors cheered the arrival of Kaz Nejatian as Opendoor’s CEO.
But the real proof will come from execution and whether Opendoor can become an AI-powered real estate platform that finally delivers consistent profits.
