“Silence is not an option when power protects predators.”
Anonymous X user, November 13, 2025
The Timeline: How One Breakup Email Blew Up a Tech Empire
It started on his birthday, Ezra Olubi’s 39th, on November 12, 2025.
What should have been a celebration for the flamboyant co-founder of the Stripe-acquired Nigerian fintech giant Paystack quickly turned into a public execution after a woman known online as Max Obae (@Makispoke on X), who claimed to be Ezra’s ex-girlfriend, made serious allegations against him. This came after it was revealed that he had ended their relationship with a breakup email titled “Severance.” She was one of two bisexual women in a “polyamorous” relationship with Olubi. The trio had been public about their non-monogamous relationship but this wasn’t a mutual parting. She accused him of being emotionally abusive, manipulative and using his wealth to shield himself whilst forming strategic relationships with women (mostly powerful feminists) according to her. She claimed he pretended to be queer for clout while treating women like disposable submissives. She didn’t name him at first. But Nigeria’s internet is small when you’re a national tech icon with painted nails, dreadlocks and a cat on your lap in every photo. By November 13, the X detective squad had connected the dots. And then they dug.
The Digital Graveyard: Tweets That Should Have Stayed Buried
Olubi’s old X account @0x was a time capsule of horror from 2010 to 2017, back when he was a programmer in his early 20s. But age doesn’t erase accountability. Verified screenshots now circulate in a GitHub evidence archive titled “Ezra Olubi Evidence Archive.” One tweet from 2014 claimed, “Sex with a minor cures HIV. All my +ve followers, help yourselves,” tagged to HIV-positive followers. Another from 2012 bragged, “Just slept with my cat. She’s purring. 10/10 would recommend,” posted with a photo of his cat. In 2011, he wrote about young girls at work staring and wondered whether to tell HR or just enjoy. A 2015 post casually announced a diagnosis of HIV and Hepatitis B with no follow-up on treatment. In 2013, he compared women to code: debug, use, discard when buggy. These weren’t edgy jokes. They were patterns. And when the internet saw them, outrage went nuclear.
The Fallout: Deactivation, Deflection and Denial
By 6:42 PM WAT on November 13, @0xezra was gone. The account was deactivated, close associates deactivated theirs (including a feminist influencer he funded), Paystack’s official X account went radio silent, and there was no statement from Stripe. But the internet doesn’t forget. A GitHub repo now has over 12,000 stars and forks from journalists in Lagos, London, and San Francisco. X is trending with #EzraOlubi, #PaystackScandal, and #RevokeEzraAward. One viral tweet sums it up: “He built Paystack to process millions in payments… but couldn’t process basic human decency.”
His Suspension: Paystack Finally Bows To Pressure
In a swift development amid the escalating scandal, Paystack has suspended its co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Ezra Olubi, effective immediately, pending the outcome of a formal internal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving a subordinate. The company confirmed the move in a statement to TechCabal on November 13, 2025, emphasizing that it takes such matters “extremely seriously” and has initiated a “fair, transparent, and structured review process” in line with its internal policies on safety, respect, and transparency. This action follows the viral resurfacing of Olubi’s decade-old tweets containing disturbing content, including pedophilic references and bestiality jokes, which amplified the original abuse claims from his former partner. Paystack, owned by Stripe since its $200 million acquisition in 2020, has pledged not to comment further until the probe concludes, leaving Olubi sidelined from all duties while public scrutiny intensifies across Nigeria’s tech ecosystem.
Why This Matters: It’s Bigger Than One Man
Paystack isn’t just an app. It’s Africa’s payment backbone, processing transactions for MTN, Bolt and thousands of SMEs. It’s Stripe’s largest acquisition in Africa and a symbol of Nigerian tech excellence. It’s trusted with your bank details, BVN and life savings. Ezra Olubi isn’t just a co-founder. He’s the CTO, still listed on Paystack’s site, a board member, recipient of the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON), and mentor to Y Combinator hopefuls. This isn’t cancel culture. This is accountability culture.
What Happens Next
For now, the story is still unfolding. The archived evidence is widely available online, and conversations continue across X and Nigerian media. Many are watching to see whether the company will address the allegations, clarify Olubi’s role or take any steps toward transparency. Until then, the public record speaks for itself.
Final Thoughts
Ezra Olubi built a billion-dollar company from code. But character isn’t compiled, it’s lived. He deactivated his account. But the questions remain. This is Day 2 of the scandal. The next move belongs to Paystack, Stripe and the institutions that honored him.
Stay tuned for next week’s roundup because, in Nigeria, the news never sleeps. Follow Lists NG on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok for more.
