In this article DFS COF Capital One CEO and Chairman, Richard Fairbank. Marvin Joseph| The Washington Post | Getty Images Capital One's recently announced $35.3 billion acquisition of Discover Financial isn't just about getting bigger — gaining "scale" in Wall Street-speak — it's a bid to protect itself against a rising tide of fintech and regulatory threats. It's a chess move by one of the savviest long-term thinkers in American finance, Capital One CEO Richard Fairbank. As a cofounder of a top 10 U.S. ban ...