Founded in 1999, Wirecard AG was a technology and financial services company that positioned itself as a leading global provider of digital payment solutions. It offered payment processing, card issuing, and risk management services to a wide range of industries worldwide. After years of rapid growth and inclusion in Germany's DAX stock index, a series of investigative reports and whistleblower allegations culminated in a 2020 audit that revealed €1.9 billion in cash was missing. This led to the company's collapse, the arrest of its top executives, and one of Germany's largest corporate fraud scandals.