climbers & scalers

S1:E26 Marcos Galperin: The easiest letter to write and the hardest decision to take

Episode Summary

On May 21, 2025, Marcos surprised everyone by announcing that he was stepping down as CEO of Mercado Libre. He did it with a short letter, written in fifteen minutes with the help of artificial intelligence. In this episode, he tells for the first time how that process unfolded: what personal, family, and strategic factors led him to the decision, what role the Board played, and why stepping aside sometimes requires as much commitment as staying in charge. An intimate conversation about letting go, leaving a legacy, and knowing when to change roles. To keep scaling, from a different place.

Episode Notes

On May 21, 2025, Marcos surprised everyone by announcing that he was stepping down as CEO of Mercado Libre. He did it with a short letter, written in fifteen minutes with the help of artificial intelligence. In this episode, he tells for the first time how that process unfolded: what personal, family, and strategic factors led him to the decision, what role the Board played, and why stepping aside sometimes requires as much commitment as staying in charge. An intimate conversation about letting go, leaving a legacy, and knowing when to change roles. To keep scaling, from a different place.